and at the time we were the only submarine crew in Pearl Harbor who had such a partnership. Erin’s ever-increasingly challenging workouts, coupled with her highly knowledgeable fitness and nutrition advice, her concerned personal attention to those individuals who needed that little extra motivation, and her great sense of humor were the leading contributors to my crew’s significant achievements:
- The crew lost over 300lbs of body fat (measured by semi-annual fitness assessments required by the Navy), and we went from having five Sailors classified as “overfat” by Navy standards in October 2007 to zero in May 2008.
- All crewmembers passed the semi-annual physical fitness assessment in May 2008, improved from over a dozen failures the previous October.
- The number of Sailors who scored “outstanding” in the physical fitness assessment in May increased from the previous test by over 40%.
Though difficult to measure with statistics, Erin’s most important contribution to my crew’s health and fitness is the way in which she helped us to establish a “fitness culture” onboard. Her continuous promotion of exercise and living a healthy lifestyle has had a definite positive influence upon my men, including myself. We have for the first time in recent history of the ship a softball, basketball and soccer team, and we have over a dozen Sailors who regularly compete in local running races. A number of our Sailors have medaled in these races, distances of which include 10K and 5K, and we had 5 crewmembers run the Honolulu marathon. About three-quarters of our crew regularly visit the gym to lift weights or use cardio machines in addition to our three days per week command sessions, which is in itself is a notably dramatic increase. Our unusually high sports participation for a submarine crew was featured in the April-June 2008 edition of Athletes Hi magazine.
I completed my tour as Chief of the Boat aboard USS MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL in June and subsequently transferred to Naval Submarine School in Groton, Ct. As of the date in which this letter is written, Erin is still leading the crew through her combat PT sessions, and I know via regular correspondence with some of my previous shipmates that the entire crew continues to improve their physical fitness as well as their knowledge in fitness techniques, proper nutrition, and other areas in regards to healthy living.
I would most highly recommend Erin Morgart as a Personal Trainer for both individual or group fitness training. She is a true professional who has earned my highest regards as a motivator, coach and mentor. Her genuine concern that others benefit from her wealth of knowledge and leadership is truly inspirational. Please feel free to contact me if you desire any further information.