December 01, 2008
BOSTON, MA – When Michael Taylor was invited to join the Boston Police Academy in summer 2007, he knew he needed to do more than prove he could shoot straight.
At 5 feet 6 inches and 265 pounds, Taylor could barely run a mile without getting winded. Chasing 18-year-old suspects through city streets would be impossible.
So he traded his beloved greasy steak-and-cheese subs for turkey sandwiches. He stopped slathering mayonnaise on his fried fish and substituted water for juice.
When he started classes at the end of May, he had slimmed down to 233 pounds, but his instructors still were not impressed.
“He came in and I thought for sure he would be resigning on his own by the end of the first week,” said Officer Leanne Hurley, the fitness supervisor at the academy.
But the 33-year-old recruit persisted.
Michael Taylor weighed 265 when invited to enter the police academy. Last week, the 5-foot-6 officer was a muscled 199 lbs. (Family photo)
He kept a food journal to help him check his eating habits. He stayed after the morning exercises to do sprints with Hurley. After classes ended at 4 p.m., he would stick around to lift weights. On his way to classes, he would walk on tiptoe to strengthen his calf muscles.
Last Tuesday during Taylor’s graduation from the academy, he was singled out in front of hundreds of officers and their relatives for his efforts, and awarded the title of most motivated officer. He now weighs 199 pounds, can do 47 sit-ups in one minute, and easily finished the 8-mile graduation run from the police academy to headquarters.
“He is inspiring,” said Officer James Lydon, one of Taylor’s instructors. “He makes me want to be better. I’m a 40-year-old guy and not in the best shape of my life.”
The 26-week academy is grueling. Many leave because they can’t keep up with the rigid schedule, they flunk out, or they quickly become exhausted by the rigorous exercise. Recruits work out for an hour and a half every morning, running up to 4 miles and doing sit-ups, push-ups, and squat thrusts.[img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img]
BOSTON, MA – When Michael Taylor was invited to join the Boston Police Academy in summer 2007, he knew he needed to do more than prove he could shoot straight.
At 5 feet 6 inches and 265 pounds, Taylor could barely run a mile without getting winded. Chasing 18-year-old suspects through city streets would be impossible.
So he traded his beloved greasy steak-and-cheese subs for turkey sandwiches. He stopped slathering mayonnaise on his fried fish and substituted water for juice.
When he started classes at the end of May, he had slimmed down to 233 pounds, but his instructors still were not impressed.
“He came in and I thought for sure he would be resigning on his own by the end of the first week,” said Officer Leanne Hurley, the fitness supervisor at the academy.
But the 33-year-old recruit persisted.
Michael Taylor weighed 265 when invited to enter the police academy. Last week, the 5-foot-6 officer was a muscled 199 lbs. (Family photo)
He kept a food journal to help him check his eating habits. He stayed after the morning exercises to do sprints with Hurley. After classes ended at 4 p.m., he would stick around to lift weights. On his way to classes, he would walk on tiptoe to strengthen his calf muscles.
Last Tuesday during Taylor’s graduation from the academy, he was singled out in front of hundreds of officers and their relatives for his efforts, and awarded the title of most motivated officer. He now weighs 199 pounds, can do 47 sit-ups in one minute, and easily finished the 8-mile graduation run from the police academy to headquarters.
“He is inspiring,” said Officer James Lydon, one of Taylor’s instructors. “He makes me want to be better. I’m a 40-year-old guy and not in the best shape of my life.”
The 26-week academy is grueling. Many leave because they can’t keep up with the rigid schedule, they flunk out, or they quickly become exhausted by the rigorous exercise. Recruits work out for an hour and a half every morning, running up to 4 miles and doing sit-ups, push-ups, and squat thrusts.[img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img]
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