Royal Navy makes history in Portsmouth as sailors qualify as physical trainers straight from civilian life for the first time

EIGHT sailors have made history in Portsmouth – by becoming the first to qualify as Royal Navy physical training instructors straight from civilian life.
By Tom Cotterill
Published 14th Apr 2022, 15:37 BST
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Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell presented coveted branch badges to the eight successful candidates during a ceremony at HMS Temeraire.

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They were joined by nine other colleagues who passed out via the traditional route for joining the navy’s team of fitness experts, having started their careers in other naval branches like engineering.

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Newly-qualified navy PTIs put on a show during the ceremony to mark the graduationNewly-qualified navy PTIs put on a show during the ceremony to mark the graduation
Newly-qualified navy PTIs put on a show during the ceremony to mark the graduation

That route remains open to sailors who fancy switching branches, but now people can join the Senior Service directly as a physical training instructor straight from civvy street, just as they would becoming a diver, seaman specialist, or chef.

Once they’ve completed their basic military training to convert them into sailors at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, they head to the School of Physical Training at HMS Temeraire in Portsmouth.