Page 112 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2015-16

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PCRF Pirbright has been my rst assignment as an ERI/RAPTCI and also the rst time I have returned to
ATC (P) since being an AAPTI in the main Gymnasium.
The main focus of the PCRF Pirbright is to support ATC (P) and ARTD by delivering effective exercise rehabilitation to the Phase 1 Recruits of ATC (P). PCRF Pirbright also supplies exercise rehabilitation to ATC (P) permanent staff (instructors), DMRC Headley Court permanent staff and the cohort of the 1st Battalion the Welsh Guards.
I arrived at PCRF Pirbright after my ERI course in July 2015 and, fortunately for me arrived at a time when we were experiencing record high numbers of injured Phase One Recruits...great! The pace of life within the PCRF was thick and fast and it certainly proved to be a steep learning curve. The injured Recruits presented me with a vast array of muscular-skeletal injuries which really pushed me to the limits, but thankfully the wealth of knowledge that I gained on the ERI course ensured that it was taken within my stride (well kind of!). I was however extremely fortunate to have two very experienced ERIs to go to when I needed guidance and/or a shoulder to lean on.
Aside from the hustle and bustle of exercise rehabilitation within the PCRF, there have been a number of physical achievements earned by the mixed qualities of the RAPTCIs of the rehab team. There is a mixed bunch within the staff room, we
SSgt (SSI) K Bell, Sgt (SI) C Spence, Sgt (SI) J Dean
PCRF PIRBRIGHT
Sgt (SI) C Spence RAPTC
have SSgt Kev Bell who is an Army road cyclist and can normally be found either smashing out big watts on the newly acquired Wattbike’s or punishing himself on the rowing machines! Then there is Sgt “Briggsy” Briggs who doesn’t really like physical exercise, eats a slab of cheese every day but (frustratingly) proves to be a fantastic runner, a keen tri-athlete and a surprisingly good table tennis player! The newest edition to the team is Sgt “Deano” Dean, who is a keen runner and lifter and is providing some welcomed banter to the staff room! The last member of the ERI gang is me, Sgt Charlotte Spence, and my main activity away from mending and bending Recruits is competitive functional tness and lifting.
By way of highlighting some success stories, SSgt Kev Bell won the rst ever British Forces Cyprus Road Race in Sep 15. He was also part of the very successful RAPTC Indoor Rowing team that recently competed at the European Indoor Rowing Championships in Hungary (Jan 16), where he came 5th in his age group and gained a winners medal in the Masters team category.
Sgt Briggs won the ATC (P) 70.3 Iron Man distance triathlon, held in Sep 15, and managed to raise a great deal of money for the Army Benevolent Fund. He has also been consistent in nishing inside the top ten competitors at the Regional Cross Country league events and he hopes to make it in to the Army Cross Country team in 2016.
I have been pushing my limits to the maximum in the gym and having some good success competing at a wide range of Cross Fit competitions, both at national and international level. After a lot of hard work, sweat and tears, I was extremely proud to nish in rst place at the Battle of the Beasts Cross Fit competition in Oct 15.
By way of re ecting on the past year, it has been a very positive and conducive experience. The extremely high numbers of Recruits that were referred to us, made it all the more satisfying when we returned them back into training. Furthermore, the achievements reached by my fellow ERIs and I have also been fantastic and we are all very much looking forward to experiences and successes that 2016 holds.
Sgt (SI) Spence winner of the ‘Battle of the Beasts Cross Fit Competition’