Fort Hood shooting survivor leads new boot camp

Fort Hood shooting survivor leads new boot camp
Apr 11, 2013
Nick Delgado

Christopher Royal wasn’t much into physical fitness before the fatal shooting Nov. 5, 2009, at Fort Hood. But for Royal, who was injured in the attack, the tragedy was a rude awakening that turned his life around.

Now the director of Royal’s Fitness & Enterprising, he launched a gospel fitness camp Saturday to help spread the benefits of healthy living.

“When I was shot on Fort Hood, I realized that I had the opportunity to possibly take the gunman down,” he said. “However, I wasn’t as fit or fast enough to get to him.”

That motivation has helped Royal boost his endurance to double the number of pushups and sit-ups he knocks out during an Army physical training test. He said his two-mile run time also improved, from 16 to 12 minutes.

“So I believe that has a lot to do with what motivated me to become fit, and now with the motivation to extend good health,” he said.

The boot camp caters specifically to churches, but Royal said everyone is welcome to join.

He and a dozen others performed station workouts to gospel music at the Killeen Community Center gymnasium Saturday in the first set of boot camp classes.
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