Recreational diver chases Navy dream

“Why did I decide to join the Royal New Zealand Navy? To live my dreams and realise my goals,” she says.

Ling Wingate graduated from Basic Common Training in June and is now branch training as a Cryptologic Technician (CT).

But as a passionate recreational diver with qualifications up to Advanced Wreck Diving, she’s hoping a career as a Navy diver might be an option one day.

On the IT side of things she was working in the industry as a Development Operations engineer. “You know all those cybergeeks you see in movies? It’s kind of how I describe it. It’s very nerdy.”

Ordinary Cryptologic Technician Wingate started getting serious about diving during a holiday in Fiji. “I’d been diving before but this time it was like a light bulb went off in my head.”

Since then she’s obtained her PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) qualification as well as SSI qualifications (Scuba Schools International)  and is now qualified in Open Water through to Rescue Diver, and ‘Deep’ (40 metres) and ‘Advanced Wreck’.

“I had always wondered what the world has in store for me outside of IT, and I’ve always been searching for that special thing where I can do the thing I love. Sure, IT facilitated an expensive hobby, especially towards the end of my career, but I used that hobby to work towards a whole new future. I started researching careers, and top of the list for me was Navy.”

She had held an idea of joining the Navy since she was a teenager, but she wanted a good reason. “I love everything the Navy stands for, but for me I didn’t want to just join and then stick it out. I wanted it to have meaning. I wanted to do something that would be incredibly rewarding.”

She was working to overcome a foot injury and in fact was turned down on her first application on medical grounds. “I dug deep, sent an appeal through, got through the fitness tests. Everything that was asked of me, I did it.”

She was inevitably twice the age of most of her Basic Common Training intake. “You do end up being the mother of the group and I had no problem being that, especially to the 14 other females in my intake. They were fresh out of home, and really, it was completely new to all of us. I went through the journey with them and we came out as equals.”

She enjoyed the physical challenges and the discipline during training. “Those weeks really brought out a stronger side to me and I’m so proud of how I’ve grown.

“When I graduated, I bawled my eyes out. I think it was just the journey I had been through, and what was to come – it just mean everything.”

While her aspiration is to become a Navy diver one day, she says she intends to pursue her Cryptologic Technician trade to the very best of her ability.

“It took me 12 months to get here and I’ll be damned if I don’t give it my all."

"There’s so much value in the CT trade. It’s a whole new challenge in a whole new world. Diving I can do anytime and I would love to end up doing it for the Navy, but who’s to say I don’t stay in my CT role?”

Her advice to others wanting to join the Navy is to stay true to yourself.

“Remember that Basic Common Training is only four months out of your life and that the best is yet to come. You will grow to meet the best friends you will have forever and grow to be an amazing person. Remember that there will be lows but the highs will outweigh all of them and if you find yourself a bit low, remember why you are here and why you signed up.”