Page 28 - Mercian Eagle 2016

the Navy and Airforce took two each. Competition was incredibly tough as some teams had trained full time for this event including time on the civilian circuit where they can learn the tricks and techniques that turn a strong team into winners. Under Sgt Major Howdle’s lead, the team has trained hard at our purpose built gantry and were noted by the others as physically very strong. This was the result of many lengths lifting upwards of 600kg as a team.
While the final result was not a trophy for 1 MERCIAN, the experience was incredible. Scotland was well worth the incredibly long drive and the Gathering was worth all of
the efforts that preceeded it. Being part of such a presitious and historic event and
Teams take part in the Inter Service Tug of war event at the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering
representing both the Regiment and the Army in front of the huge crowds made all the training relevant.
With the Indoor season about to start, the team will continue to train but switch focus slightly to an alternative technique. We are actively recruiting new members and while
a good strength to weight ratio is of benefit it is attitude and enthusiasm that make
the greatest difference. We are particularly after reestablishing the womens’ and mixed teams.
No Tug of War update would be complete without a mention of Major Doug Hallam. Without Doug’s efforts the team would
not be where is it today and we were all very pleased to have the loudest and most enthusiastic fan in the entire audience cheering us on!
1 MERCIAN conducted themselves exceptionally well and the first team scored a respectful third position, above other units from the Guards and Royal Engineers. By scoring a third, 1 and 2 MERCIAN qualified for the BAWF finals at the Royal Army Physical Training School in Aldershot.
After the success of both teams the Regimental Adjutant, Captain Maddock, organised a competition between a combination of 1 and 2 MERCIAN against the hosting team, PJHQ Northwood.
After a mix of different events the overall winning team were the Mercians!
memorable moment from this event was WO2 Rushton’s 70kph crash coming down X range hill, which saw him loose his 4th place. However, he scraped off the mud, picked up his bike and fought his way back to a very respectable 15th place with Capt Jones claiming a 3rd place medal, earning promotion to the B League.
This season however hasn’t been all about the racing. There have been some great opportunities to ride out in mixed ability groups on sports afternoons, which of course includes stopping at a number of coffee shops to sample the cakes that Wiltshire has to offer.
Now that the team is formed, the plan for the next year is to keep building on the great things we have achieved this year. This will include entry into the Army Road Race Championships in October, followed by a solid winter training program to set us up for another, even more successful season again next year.
British Army Warrior Fitness Update SSgt Forster.
The Army has recently introduced a military physical fitness competition that supports and encourages military fitness training in accordance with AGAI Volume 1 Chapter 7, Physical Training. These competitions have been named British Army Warrior Fitness (BAWF). BAWF is now encouraged throughout regional levels and culminates with an Army final in July each year.
BAWF promotes relevant military fitness training and is designed to reflect the functional requirements of soldiering. The competitions emphasise a balanced fitness which allows competitors to quickly adapt to varying requirements. The athletes must
be strong, flexible and agile as well as having a high level of cardiovascular fitness. Of note, teams do not know the format of each competition before arriving so must be prepared for a variety of events.
Earlier this year, Regional Command planned and delivered team competitions for Army personnel. 1 MERCIAN entered three teams of three soldiers into the South Region competitions which were hosted
at ATR Pirbright. The format of the day consisted of four team events each of which was unknown to the entrants and tested a variety of physical attributes.
Road Cycling Update Capt Neil Jones, QM(T)
The 1 MERCIAN Cycling team have had
an extremely successful year. From a near standing start, the enthusiasm for the sport has flourished and we have quickly formed a popular cycling team with constantly increasing numbers!
In April, at the beginning of the season, some of us attend “The Welsh Epic” which is the Army Cycling Union’s pre-season training camp at Capel Curig in North Wales. The weather was surprisingly good for the time of year, but this didn’t make up for the shock to the legs the week brought! Each rider covered over 350 miles which included climbing some 5480 metres. This set the team up in good stead, ready for the beginning of the Army Road Race Series which began on the 4 May with a tight road circuit in Larkhill. It was a well-attended race which saw over 280 riders from across the Army to compete in the three leagues. Both WO2 Rushton and Capt Jones scored
some initial points for the inter-infantry in the Corps Championship at this event.
Subsequently there were a further nine races on a variety of circuits around the
UK which included airfields and purpose built tracks at Redbridge. None of these were as memorable as the Infantry Corps Championships which were held on 22 June on an extremely challenging course over Sennybridge Training area. 1 MERCIAN were out in force at this event, both in number of marshals which ensured the smooth running of the event and through fielding more riders than any other unit. This race included Ptes Stockton and Hitchens from C Coy who were total novices; they both showed real grit and determination during the race, which was recognised by the Army Team Captain post-race. The course started at Dixey’s, looped around X range and climbed to Celini village before returning to climb back up Dixey’s for a grueling hill top finish. One particularly
26 THE MERCIAN EAGLE