Page 76 - RADC 2020

SPORT & AT
Ex Proton Serpent
AMS Skiing Championships
LCpl M Cacho, RADC
Ex Proton Serpent is part of the AMS Ski Championships and lasts for two weeks at Serre Chevalier, France. I was lucky enough to be part of the Alpine Ski team representing my Regiment, 3 Medical Regiment located in Preston.
After a long scenic drive from Preston, UK, to Serve Chevalier, France, we finally arrived and were assigned our accommodation.
We were greeted by our team leaders and members, mainly the Nordic team who had competed in Norway.
For beginners like me, our first week was lessons. We were taught the basics, from properly carrying our skis to snow plowing and then on to more advanced techniques to prep us for the big competitions.
Our first Alpine competition experience was held on the Friday of the first week. Those entering ranged from beginners, intermediates, up to the expert players. Acquiring the bibs made it feel so official. The route chosen for the competition was a red route, very steep from the aerial view of a chair lift. Finishing the lessons off on a Blue (Beginner) slope, I was both excited to tackle this challenge and nervous/terrified for competing on a route out of my comfort zone.
Before the competition commenced, we were able to view the route and plan how to tackle it. Spectators and competitors got ready and settled into their spots from the side of the route or at the bottom by the restaurant nearby. The first racer was given the go, they were incredibly fast and did not miss any of the gates. Hours later, it was nearly my turn. I got up on the chair lift
to ski down to the start line. Go! I was slow to start off with and my heart was pumping with so much adrenaline. The sun was shining through my ski goggles and there I was, gaining momentum, becoming faster and faster, but remembering to slow down before I reached the gates, so I didn’t miss them. The next thing I knew, I had reached the finish line surrounded by a big cheerful crowd. A big sigh of relief from me, but I was also still pumped with adrenaline. It was a crazy experience and definitely something I enjoyed. Later on, I found out that there was a second round of races which meant I had to go again. In an instant, my nervousness kicked in, but in my head I was keen on challenging myself by doing better than my first run.
Serre Chevalier was a quaint town surrounded by the beautiful mountains covered in snow. The streets were cobblestone and the main town was lined up with souvenirs shops, bars, restaurants, and much more. On the weekends, we had time to explore the town and try some of the local food of this area of France. We spent some time ice skating outdoors and met up with the Nordic team. We had a chance to try Nordic skiing and did a mini 5km route.
It was a lot harder than it looked but once you got familiar with the techniques, it was fun. The Alpine team was given a chance to compete in the Nordic Skiing President’s 5km race for the coming week, so this was a good chance to practice with the skis.
In our second week we had a few events on the agenda. The mini-competition for both alpine and nordic teams was held
at the beginner slope. The twist was that everyone was to wear fancy dress.
We had the Giant Slalom competitions for the Alpine teams and the 5km, 10km and final race for the Nordic skiers.
The RADC members had a nice get- together at a local restaurant trying some local cuisines such as escargot, melted cheeses and cured meat with homemade wine.
At the end of all the competitions, we had the award giving ceremony held on the last day of our stay at Serre Chevalier. I was lucky enough to win the overall Best Novice Alpine Skier of this year and won my very own pair of Alpine skis.
Overall, to be part of the AMS skiing championships was an amazing experience and opportunity. I learned so much in a short period of time.
74 RADC BULLETIN 2020