Page 22 - RADC 2015

World Bog Snorkelling Championships 2015
Lt Col Pete Crockard
The group normally found cycling the length of the UK or between mountains decided to take a year off from bikes. However, it was decided that we needed another challenge. Maj Ben Cross and Simon O’Neill (Maj Jo O’Neill’s husband) thought long and hard and came up with the obvious choice – the 31st World Bog Snorkelling
Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales!
So on a cold
Sunday morning
in August the bog
snorkelling “team” – Lt
Col Pete Crockard, Maj Ben Cross, Maj Rich Lindsay, Maj Mike Twamley, Maj Nick Gibbs and Si O’Neill looked ominously at a 60 yard murky trench dug in a Welsh bog. Vague memories surfaced from the night before of locals advising us to get into the bog early before “things” were stirred up from the bottom. Other residents had been less than complimentary on our proposed swimming out t – happily stating we wouldn’t make
it 10m! As we surveyed the competition it
became obvious that they all had something in common – everyone else was wearing wetsuits, whereas we were wearing pink speedos.
So with the immortal words from Maj Mike Twamley – “how do you work a snorkel?” we lined up to take our place in the world championships. The “course” involved
swimming (kicking only with ns, no arms) for one length, touching a wood post and swimming back to the start line in
the 4-foot deep bog.
Was it cold? Very. Was it grim? Yes, but not as bad as we had
feared. There was zero visibility but we didn’t disturb any of the hidden surprises. With friendly support, healthy competition and appropriate refreshments, we all completed the course
Maj Ben Cross had the fastest time of the group – only 20 seconds slower than the world record. The event is often quoted as one of the 50 things to do before you die; I think we will revisit the list next year!
Maj Twamley works the camera
Majors Twamley and Gibbs’ private moment is spoiled by the arrival of the Village People
20 RADC BULLETIN 2015
Was it cold? Very. Was it grim? Yes
GENERAL INTEREST