Marines Celebrate the Fighting Spirit with ‘Battle Up’

It’s been said that wrestlers, like Marines, share a drive to push past limits, focus on their training and overcome any obstacle to attain their goals. Marines call this drive the fighting spirit, and it’s the focus of their new campaign, Battle Up.
Battle Up showcases the evolution of a young student and athlete with a calling to stand up for what’s right and who later uses that same spirit as a candidate fighting for the title of Marine. The commercial ends with a battle-proven Marine ready to overcome any challenge life presents and make her community stronger.

“The five scenes in the ad depict experiences of Marines who have served or are currently serving, and targets the type of person we want to serve as a U.S. Marine in the future. I was honored to be asked to participate,” Capt Erin Demchko, the Marine featured in the campaign, said.
Watch Battle Up
Just as athletes seek self-improvement through discipline and high standards, recruits rely on determination to serve their country as Marines. The incredible degree of adversity – both physical and mental – a wrestler faces is unlike any other in competition but is not unfamiliar to Marines.
Combat sports, like those featured in Battle Up, groom athletes to possess mental toughness which is an attribute that feeds the fighting spirit.
As a young athlete, Capt Demchko faced challenges such as recovering from sports injuries and fighting to perform at her best. It was through these challenges that she first tapped into her inner competitor.
“The fighting spirit is something that’s inside all of us. Maybe it’s dormant for a certain part of your life and other people bring it out in you, or maybe you just have it from the beginning. The fighting spirit is getting yourself through adversity and reaching a common goal,” Capt Demchko said.
As a high school junior, Capt Demchko witnessed the attack of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Once again, her spirit drove her into action—first as a student of the Naval Academy and through the intense challenges of The Basic School.
Throughout her journey, the fighting spirit from her tenure as an athlete was constantly pushing Capt Demchko to fight for her goals. It’s something she uses today to fight and win battles as a United States Marine.

“I’m fighting for my country, for the Marine Corps, for everybody that I’ve come in contact with in my life. They’ve had an affect on me—parents, coaches, teachers, mentors that have made me who I am. And everything I do represents them,” Capt Demchko said.
Battle Up was released by Marine Corps Recruiting Command on May 12, 2017. To see more of the battles that Marines fight and win, follow the Marine Corps Recruiting Facebook page here. To learn more about Capt Demchko, read her feature on DVIDS here.