Page 70 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

68 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) Boxing
It takes great dedication and relentless, ruthless training to be- come a champion. Lance Corporal Bracken has glory in his sights and has come out swinging, enjoying a year of glittering success.
Three weeks after his selection for the Army Development Team, Lance Corporal Bracken began his competitive season against his only military opponent, training-partner-of-old and ex-1 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Lance Corporal Thompson of the Royal Marines. Old rivalries die hard, and a difficult entry to the season saw blood on the can- vas as the Marine defied expectations by using his head rather than his fists; repeated clashes lead to a split eye for the Lancer, whose performance by the end of round one had secured him a victory at the stoppage.
The usual one month medical ban was swept aside, apparently only required for men of flesh, not steel, and Lance Corporal Bracken was able to sweep through both the pre-quarters and quarter finals in his first fights at 64kg since his debut in the Peto Cup. Bracken was literally punching above his weight, adapting his fighting style on the fly to conquer opponents up to eight inches taller than him. He waited, he feinted, he lured them in and he banged them out; the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Unfortunately, in the October semi-finals, the longer- limbed opponent from London resisted the Lancer’s attempts, and Bracken lost a well-fought battle by split decision.
Lance Corporal Bracken bangs out his opponent
The army’s newest Elite Boxer warms up for another hard-fought bout
But his greatest success was yet to come. While we sat at home gobbling mince pies and slurping Christmas ales, Lance Corpo- ral Bracken bravely denied himself these delicious pleasures and spent his Christmas leave getting leaner and meaner. In late De- cember he secured his first win as the Army’s newest Elite Boxer, overcoming a very experienced opponent by careful study of his technique and the formulation of a clever counter-offensive, in the best manoeuvrist tradition.
Aggression, and exploitation. Restraint, and patience. Mental flexibility, and dogged determination. Boxing and soldiering go together like the Royal Air Force and lost luggage, and whether you’re on the canvas or in darkest Donovia, the same characteris- tics will guide you to glory. We wish Lance Corporal Bracken the best of luck at the Elite Nationals later this year; death or glory.
RJC
Triathlon
Due to the Regimental deployment on Operation TOSCA, the triathlon team have only competed in one event this year. The Royal Armoured Corps sprint championship took place in April, it saw athletes complete a 300 metre swim, a 24km bike followed by a 5km run. For most it was a first attempt at combin- ing the three disciplines. With little to no training all those that took part performed well. Special mention should go to Lance Corporal Marshall who completed the event on a rusty old bike with no specific cycling shoes and still beat a many more well- equipped athletes. Equipment failure saw Trooper Collins get his first ‘Did Not Finish’, much to his embarrassment, meaning he was beaten by a civilian riding a bike complete with shopping basket and bell. Next year will see the team compete in a number of the Army races, with the aspiration to complete a half iron- man event later in the year.