SGPT Interviews SEALFIT 20X Finisher Eddie Jesinsky

They say that the waiting is the hardest part. It can wear on you mentally. But once you start the event you find out that you belong and that mental fear disappears.

“For me, the hardest part was the anticipation and anxiety prior to and during the first grinder session- after realizing I could make it through that, the rest was primarily a physical endurance exercise.” Eddie Jesinsky

Check out this interview with Eddie Jesinsky as he gives you the play by play on how he trained and slayed the dragon at SEALFIT 20X.

SGPT: Tell us about yourself? Where are you from and where do you train?

EJ: I grew up in the Washington, DC area. I was living in Las Vegas, NV until 2018 when I moved to Guadalajara, Mexico. I go to a few local gyms here in Guadalajara.

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

EJ: Not particularly, though I played team sports as a kid and did martial arts later in life until an injury stopped my practice.

SGPT: How did you train for the SEALFIT 20X event?

EJ: I would go to gym regularly, 3-5 times a week, and also added in some rucking with weight and occasional 5k OCR (Spartan, etc).

SGPT: Tell us about the event? Where was it and how was the course?

EJ: The event was at Vail Lake in Temecula, CA on September 21, 2024. The weather was fairly ideal- not too hot or too cold and it didn’t rain. It was held at a nice low altitude as well. We checked in around 6am and secured around 8-830pm if I recall correctly. I believe there were three Kokoro event drops and three 20X drops.

SGPT: What was the hardest part of the event?

EJ: For me, the hardest part was the anticipation and anxiety prior to and during the first grinder session- after realizing I could make it through that, the rest was primarily a physical endurance exercise.

SGPT: What kind of boots /trail running shoes did you use for the event? For training?

EJ: I used the Altama Maritime Assault Mid boot for both the event and for training- they did not require much to break in and they were comfortable and drain well. They also look like Converse.

SGPT: Did you use double socks or body glide on your feet to prevent blisters? How did you prepare your feet?

EJ: Compression socks are very important, I did not use anything else and had no blistering.

SGPT: What kind of ruck did you use for training and the event?

EJ: GORUCK GR1, but we did not do much ruck PT- I believe the Rucker or similar would be better for exercises.

SGPT: What is one thing you wish you would have done to get ready for the 20X event?

EJ: I was not where I wanted to be as far as upper body strength- particularly for the Murph and the log PT. While the 12hr 20x allows for some tailoring to each athlete for the PST/Murph, the log PT requires everyone’s maximum effort.

SGPT: Any tips for up and coming athletes that want to do a SEALFIT 20X Challenge?

EJ: Focus on upper body strength and core, and get well acquainted with ice baths- they were very disorienting.

SGPT: What good book are you reading now? Are you listening to any good podcasts or audio books you can share?

EJ: One of the most memorable books I’ve read recently is George Robert Elford’s Devil’s Guard.

SGPT: Many thanks for the interview Eddie. We greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and congratulations on finishing the SEALFIT 20X Challenge.

EJ: Thank you! Looking forward to the next opportunity to push myself.