Who Makes It To Be A Navy Seal?

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When we think of Navy SEALs, we picture the most physically elite warriors on earth—chiseled, fearless, unstoppable.

However, who really makes it to be a Navy Seal?

Now, consider the math of BUD/S training: a SEAL class may start with over 200 candidates and graduate fewer than 20. That’s more than a 90% drop rate. These aren’t weak people—they’re the top physical performers in the entire Navy. Yet most still fail.

Why? Because SEAL training isn’t about physical ability—it’s about the willingness to endure prolonged misery without knowing when it ends.

Former SEAL and BUD/S instructor Coleman Ruiz will tell you that the real separator isn’t six-pack abs or a sub-six-minute mile. It’s what’s inside the candidate, not outside.

Ruiz developed an informal but insightful theory after years of watching men either ring the bell or make it through. According to the Coleman Ruiz Theory, those who survive SEAL training often share one (or more) of three background experiences:

• Significant detention time in high school

• Varsity sports experience

• Divorced parents

At first glance, these sound like a random trio.

But dig deeper, and it makes perfect sense.

Each of those experiences exposes a person to friction, conflict, and adversity—the three elements that forge mental toughness better than any gym ever could.

The high school rebel learned how to deal with authority. The athlete learned to perform under pressure. The child of divorce learned how to adapt to chaos.

Because whether you’re chasing a dream, leading a team, or raising a family—your own “BUD/S” moment is coming.

And how you respond will define whether you ring the bell… or keep marching toward greatness.

That’s the heart of Puke & Rally—you’re going to get knocked down, hit the wall, and maybe even want to quit. But the rally is what separates the great from the almost. Anyone can puke; few have the mindset to rally.