French Foreign Legion sports. You are good at boxing and would like to continue training even in the Legion. Are you able to do so? Besides obligatory running, pushing-up and pull-ups, which sports activities are supporting by the Foreign Legion?
Active duty time: It depends on your regiment, company and even a platoon. You can ride a bicycle, play football/soccer, rugby or volleyball. But certainly, you will be regularly doing also swimming, orienteering, combat parkour and fitness during the mornings in the Foreign Legion. Rock-climbing or parachuting on a regular basis are reserved for mountain or airborne units. As a member of one of the two Foreign Legion engineer regiments, you are able to become an combat diver as well. Most likely you will do a practical 3-weeks mountain combat training during your five-years contract, regardless of your regiment, to receive the Military Skier Certificate (Brevet de skieur militaire, BSM). You will be learning skiing within this course.
Free time: Every regiment of the Foreign Legion should have own sports club or sports centre, where you can also build your legionnaire career – Club Sportif et Artistique, CSA. First of all, it includes a fitness gym. It also depends on a regiment, if the clubs/centres include additionally a gym for combat sports or martial arts like boxing, kick-boxing, karate, judo etc. Mostly yes. During a week-end, if you are permitted by the Legion (your chiefs), you may be doing a parachute or diving (or another) course within a civil company, with another legionnaires (preferably with someone of non-commissioned officers) wanting to do the same thing. But as stated, it allways depends on your regiment or local conditions.
Nevertheless be sure, as a fresh lowest-rank legionnaire, you have to do your duty at first. Only in case that all your duties are fulfilled, you might think about fun and sports doing. But as your rank and time-in-service are growing up, your possibilities of using your time are extending too. If you are good in whatever you do (not only in sports), you will be sooner or later able to do it at your best.
What sports are legionnaires doing within the Foreign Legion in 2013? Here are some examples:
Kickboxing:
Extreme fighting (MMA):
Brazilian jiu-jitsu:
Duathlon:
Futsal:
Swimming:
Images credit/source:
Légion étrangère official website