An Interview with Anna O’Boyle.
What were your initial reasons for applying to join the Navy SEAL’s?
I joined the SEAL’s in 2001 and I still am not sure what my motive was. I tended to be spontaneous then and at the time I had initially been researching American colleges as a way to further my education. However the U.S Navy presented an opportunity and appealed so much as I have always loved the sea. I grew up fishing on the west coast of Ireland and it has always been a place of contentment for me.
What was the process for applying and getting accepted?
Getting accepted was an extremely strenuous process. There were many physical tests which involved running, swimming, pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups. Then there were eye and hearing tests, intelligence tests, psychological and medical checks. You could be rejected for many reasons and a lot of guys were.
What was it like leaving home?
I left home three weeks before my eighteenth birthday and had a going away party. I was really sad to be leaving home but so excited to join as well so there were many mixed emotions.
What was it like to arrive and what were your first impressions?
My first impressions were amazement, humility to be where I was, awe, fear and excitement simultaneously. But mostly I had never felt more motivated. I was extremely nervous but I also couldn’t wait to get started!
What would you say was your biggest achievement during your time there?
I would say that I felt proud that I was the youngest guy there. In terms of individual achievements, there would be too many to name. Just getting to the end of each day felt like a big deal!
Why did you leave and what were your feelings about leaving?
I left because of pneumonia, that took the stuffing out of me. At the time it broke my heart and I felt so unlucky to not be able to complete what I had set out to. But looking back I am still very proud of what I accomplished during my time there and believe that my life has played out for the best since then.
What was it like to return home?
I found going home really hard. It felt like I had lost my direction in life and it took a long time to readjust and refocus. However in the long-term I have taken the positives from the experience and I have used it to better myself and others. In terms of applying it to my daily life, I have learned that you really can do anything if you put your mind to it; also what you sacrifice in the present always seems to come back 10-fold in the future. Most importantly, the mindset and skills I was taught have become my way of making a living and providing for my family, so I have so much to be grateful to the SEAL’s for.
Please click on the video at the top for more interesting questions answered by Niall about his experiences during his SEAL training. Please contact us for any more information or to book your first session. As always, please comment and share so that we can keep providing content that our followers enjoy. Thank you.
-Anna.
