Cadet Stephanie Raborn had a hard time when she first came to the Leader’s Training Course. She admits her upper-body strength wasn’t exactly up to par.

But since drill sergeants have been making her do push-ups, things have started to look up.

Standing hidden among a growth of trees, Raborn explained the tactics she used to complete the wooden jungle gym of sorts that is the Leader’s Training Course obstacle course.

The Charlie Company Cadet from Wentworth Military Academy pulled herself over logs, climbed ropes, scooted over hurdles and crawled through dirt.

“It’s something a lot of people here need to work on,” Raborn said of the physical endurance it takes to complete the obstacle course. “I know I need to work on it.”

Obstacle courses are something Cadets will continue to encounter throughout their Army career.

“Most of the obstacles you see here are the same obstacles that are in obstacle courses at military establishments all over the country,” said Lt. Col. Sean Ryan, the company tactical officer for Delta Company.

Perhaps the most difficult obstacle for many Cadets is the pyramid – which Raborn called “stairway to heaven” – where they weave their way through wooden boards. Facing sideways, the Cadets must maneuver their way over a board, then under the next while working up and back down an incline. Like many of the other obstacles, it takes a measure of upper-body strength along with leg and abdomen strength.

“With this one, you use everything you have,” Cadet Jamal Jenkins said.

The Delta Cadet from Marion Military Institute said that, like Raborn, his time at LTC has prepared him for the strength he needed to complete the obstacle course.

“If we hadn’t gotten those skills, we would never have been able to complete this,” he said.

Charlie Cadet Zach Larson from New Mexico Military Institute said that even though the drill sergeants and Cadre told them the activity would be easier than the others they have encountered, the obstacle course was extremely challenging.

“We aren’t used to going through obstacle courses all day long or doing push-ups all day long,” he said. “Don’t come here if you’re weak-minded. It’s a challenge.”

Physical fitness is only one benefit to the obstacle course. The activity also benefits Cadets’ confidence and team-building skills, Ryan said.

“We go through as squads, so you cheer on your buddy,” Ryan said. They learn “that ability to work as a team, make sure everybody gets over and make the squads go through each obstacle together before they move on to the next one.”

Larson said watching his fellow Cadets complete the obstacles was helpful.

“When you’re faced with a tough challenge, you can look at everyone around and think if they can do it, I can do it,” he said. “And you just keep on going.”

Raborn said motivation from her peers was the key to completing the obstacle course.

“My platoon was called the cheerleading platoon for a while,” she said. “You hear someone yell out, and it makes you move faster and gives you a little extra strength to finish. You need that here at LTC.”