Page 70 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

Go-Karting – Pte Connor Peterson
On 7 Nov 18, members of the Det got together to enjoy an afternoon of Go- Karting at RAF Akrotiri. The afternoon started well, with clear nerves from some members including myself, however once everyone got into their race suits, a sense of eagerness started to rise.
After a couple races, there was a clear indication on whom would be the fastest on the track, along with a lot of very nice
overtakes and undertakes, drifting around hair-pin corners, spin offs and cars colliding. As time went by, all became anxious to know who had the fastest lap.
By the end of the afternoon, there
could only be one winner. Sgt Jones our Regimental Accountant had an impressive time of 37.73 seconds. A fantastic day of bonding; bringing a little healthy competition between us.
Cyprus Walkdown
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During the course we visited two dive sites in Paphos and also one in Cape Greco on the final day.
pub quizzes as they were completed in restaurants and pubs after the diving.
During the course we visited two dive sites in Paphos and also one in Cape Greco on the final day. Paphos offered good coves with gentle sea states to gain confidence under the water. The marine life was limited but rock trenches provided good viewing and were fun to swim through. The 12m depth was ideal for ticking off emergency drills too so the final day was available to explore Cape Greco; Greco was a great way to finish the course, despite the
sea state making it difficult to enter and
exit the water. The lion fish, moray eels, trumpet fish and underwater tunnels made awesome viewing. Diving to 18m was also an excellent experience and energised everyone’s will to complete further courses.
Everyone is keen to complete the PADI Open Water Advanced Diver course so they can dive the Zenobia Wreck, one of the top 10 wreck dives on the planet. It is possible to enter the cabins and bridge of this transport ferry, at depths of up to 40m.
Sub-aqua AT is highly recommended from those who attended. Kembali offer a great package for military personnel and are very flexible on timings and availability. Furthermore, they operate all year round. The PADI qualification can also be used world-wide.
Dhekelia Dash Challenge – Cpl Bernard Kirui
The Dhekelia Dash Challenge is an annual tri-service event held at Alexander Barracks, Dhekelia, and attended by all units based
in Cyprus. Like any other team challenge, preparation was key; the 2 MERCIAN
team, under the guidance of SSgt Williams (RAPTI), began planning for the event almost a month prior with organised training and conditioning sessions held in Happy Valley, Episkopi, every Wednesday afternoon.
Collectively, a total of six teams entered the event, which was hosted by 2 R ANG. The event was in the form of a relay, with each member of the fifteen-man team covering a mile loop. The 2 MERCIAN team included both Cpl Kirui and Pte Roberts of the SPS Detachment. Our team came second, just seconds behind the winning 2 R ANG team who had the benefit of knowing the ground and the ability to practice on the actual route which contained one or two cheeky hills!
2 MERCIAN Dhekelia Dash team Cpl Kirui, second from left kneeling and Pte Roberts, far right kneeling
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Despite being so close to winning, the team’s morale was encouraged by the presence of the Commanding Officer,
Lt Col Mark Davis and his rousing team talks. In conclusion, as it was our first time competing in this event, the team
performed exceptionally well and have promised to return next year with the aim of improving on both our individual and collective efforts and prising the title away from 2 R ANG.