Page 48 - The Gazette Autumn 2024

48 The Gazette QARANC Association
lining the streets was the refreshing spray from their garden hoses as they sprinkled us down with water and filled up buckets for us to swiftly dunk our hats in as we swept through the towns.
On our final day it was a relief knowing we were so close to the end, just one final push and we would be finished. The tiredness, muscle fatigue and masses of blisters shared between our team was disregarded and cast to the back of our minds as there were no thoughts of not crossing the finish line on the today!
When looking at the groups around us, it was slightly comforting to see that most groups had the same slow, limping hobble that we did but after the first few hundred metres our feet and toes would soon go numb, and a sense of normality came back to walking until the next rest stop when the hobble would return! The last 5km was marched together through town as a British contingent behind a
The last 5km was marched together through town as a British contingent
marching band where the streets were rammed with people and thus started then never-ending stream of high fives from the crowds on both sides of the road, we have given enough high fives to last a lifetime!
We started as a solid team of 12 complete beginners and finished as an even stronger team; crossing the start and finish lines together, we were in good spirits with a resounding sense of pride when we received our medals by our fantastic team leader! Congratulations to all the team at JHG (SE), to the people that made it happen and especially to the QARANC Association from whom we received funding to make this event happen and for that we are eternally grateful for this experience of a lifetime. SUCCESS!
Cpl Bethany Neame, Joint Hospital Group (South East)