CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Twenty Marines and staff from Wounded Warrior Battalion-West and its detachments, participated in the Total Athlete Training Camp at the Hope and Care Center here Nov. 15.

The training camp physically reconditioned leaders within WWBn. West through a series of sports including swimming, cycling and running and educated them on the importance athletic of nutrition and recovery methods.

This series was the first integrated camp conducted at WWBn. West. Training focused on each sport’s fundamental techniques and steps required for ensuring safety and to maximize performance.

They have participated in many camps before but most of them only focused on individual sports, said Kas A. Metzler, exercise specialist at WWBn. West.

“You can’t just train one part [of the body],” said Metzler, who has more than 20 years of experience as an exercise physiologist. “For me as an athlete, I can train really hard, but if I’m not eating or resting, I won’t benefit from my training.”

Without proper diet and recovery, athletes can be limited from their full potential. The program is implemented to ensure Marines can use this knowledge as a tool to excel as athletes.

“We’re hoping that if we can teach this to Marines, they can apply the same strategies in their job,” Metzler said.

The goal is for the detachment chiefs and program managers to return to their units with the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective “warrior athlete reconditioning chief.”

“We’re hoping that they will become more confident in their own skills in each area,” Metzler said. “We also hope that they are able to work with Marines that are new to a sport, take this information back to their detachments and make us a stronger program within our battalion.”