He quit during Hell Week. Most don’t come back. Jovon Quarles did — and became a Navy SEAL Honor Graduate.

Born into chaos in Washington D.C., Jovon grew up with a mom addicted to crack, no father, and violence all around. He became a dad before he graduated high school. Then he joined the Navy — not because he wanted to, but because he had no choice.

He found the SEAL Teams by accident. But what followed wasn’t luck — it was pain, failure, and redemption.

In this Urban Valor interview, Jovon walks us through:
- Quitting his first Hell Week and what it did to his soul
- Fighting to go back and earn the Trident
- The mindset it takes to finish BUD/S
- Real SEAL Team deployments in combat zones
- Why he says pain is the path
- And how he turned his lowest moment into a mission

This isn’t just a Navy SEAL story. This is what it looks like to lose everything… and choose to fight anyway.

 If you’re struggling, stuck, or feel like it’s too late — this one’s for you.

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Video chapters: 
00:00 – Hell Week: the rumor and initiation  
01:14 – Jovon Quarles: early life & family background  
02:45 – Growing up in DC → move to North Carolina  
08:40 – Adolescence, school & teenage fatherhood  
10:59 – Football ambition & first drive to join the Navy  
13:26 – Family doubts, recruiter pitch, decision to enlist  
18:47 – Navy Boot Camp: first impressions  
20:36 – Meeting recruits from across the country  
30:12 – Qualification test: swim, run, push‑ups — getting in  
31:52 – Start of BUD/S: physical & mental grind begins  
36:14 – The challenge of Hell Week prep & pressure intensifies  
38:28 – Drown‑proofing: confronting fear underwater  
40:19 – Mental toughness talk: “pain is the path” mindset  
48:58 – Hell Week begins: day one with boats, cold water & chaos  
53:36 – Quitting and ringing the bell — admitting defeat  
56:52 – Decision to return — commitment to finish what he started  
58:14 – Leadership role in second attempt at BUD/S  
1:05:09 – Hospitalization & physical collapse — risk of quitting again  
1:08:04 – Recovery, walk‑week and finishing BUD/S  
1:10:10 – Graduation: Honor Graduate speech & recognition  
1:12:13 – Moving onto SQT: real SEAL training begins  
1:13:25 – Personal loss: grandmother passes — resolve tested  
1:18:25 – Making history: first Black SEAL to graduate BUD/S & SQT as Honor Man  
1:19:59 – First SEAL assignment: submarine‑based SEAL delivery team  
1:20:22 – Deployments: Special missions & combat in Iraq  
1:31:39 – Transition to instructor & recruiting duty — giving back  
1:33:26 – Life after SEALs: depression, recovery & new path  
1:39:27 – Why Not Me?: book vision & final message  

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