Two officers at Western Regional Medical Command recently donned swimming caps instead of their usual patrol caps for an evening of activity.
Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., acting commanding general, WRMC; and Col. Erica Clarkson, chief, Clinical Operations, WRMC; were two of a 10-member team that won the open division in the 2015 Joint Base Lewis-McChord Intramural Swim Meet in January.
But for Tempel and Clarkson, the swim meet wasn't about winning. It was about living the Performance Triad.
The Performance Triad is a comprehensive plan to improve readiness and increase resilience through public health initiatives and leadership engagement. It focuses on an individual getting quality sleep, engaging in physical activity and improving nutrition habits. The program supports the Army Surgeon General's priority of the readiness and health of the force and families.
"The Performance Triad is about your individual effort to be a healthier Soldier and a healthier person, which will collectively make the Army a much stronger organization," Tempel explained.
Tempel, who was a competitive swimmer in college, said he always liked swimming as a form of fitness activity. So, it was no surprise that after he arrived at JBLM last September he began incorporating daily swims into his schedule.
Clarkson, on the other hand, is not a competitive swimmer but because she leads a healthy, active lifestyle, she said, "that's the neat thing -- I could still compete."
Tempel and Clarkson both said they believe in the Performance Triad.
"It gets harder as we get older or busier, but that's when (the Performance Triad) is even more important," Tempel said. "It all ties to readiness. A healthy force is a ready force."
Tempel and Clarkson also believe in leading by example, and participating in the swim meet was just one way to do so.
"You set the example; you start living the example; and then people pick it up," Clarkson said.
After her arrival to the headquarters in 2014, Clarkson began implementing different strategies to encourage Soldiers and civilians at WRMC to use the Performance Triad. Small changes, she said, like bringing in fruit instead of donuts to the office, hosting daily "walk and talk" meetings instead of sitting around a conference table, and hosting quarterly social fitness functions like kayaking or skiing trips.
Teamwork -- whether on a swim team or in a group of coworkers -- also helps encourage positive habits, Clarkson said.
"When you're on a team or in a competition with others, it's motivating," she said.
And, even though it wasn't about winning, the team collected 12 gold, seven silver and six bronze medals to finish with 181 points and win the open division. Tempel and Clarkson each earned team relay and individual medals: Tempel placing second in the team 200-meter freestyle relay and team 200-memter medley relay, first in the 200-meter freestyle and 500-meter freestyle and third in the 100-meter breaststroke; and Clarkson placing first in the team 200-meter medley relay and team 200-meter freestyle relay, first in the 200-meter individual medley and third in the 100-meter individual medley.
"A little healthy competition keeps people honest and, frankly, it's fun -- good, healthy fun." Tempel said.
Social Sharing