Page 21 - QARANC Vol 18 No 2 2020

The Gazette QARANC Association 19
Exercise Racing Ice 3 – Inter Services Ice Sports Championships
This time last year I took what I thought were my final runs down Königssee ice track in the Inter Services Ice Sports Championships. Luge is a sport that I love and have been involved in since I qualified as a nurse in 2010, first attending Ex Racing Ice 1 (the novice army ice camp) as med cover and learning to slide. Luge is the fastest ice sport and involves sliding on a sled, feet first on your back down a man- made ice track at speeds of up to 150 kph.
The Army runs three exercises yearly; the novice ice camp, Army championships and inter services championships.
In October 2019 I left the Regular Army to pursue a career as a fire fighter and I was still keen to be part of the Armed Forces and joined 208 Field Hospital as a Reservist.
I feel very fortunate that 208 Field Hospital have been supportive in my sporting aspirations enabling me to attend Ex Racing Ice 3 this year, allowing me to represent the Army and help coach the Army team at the Inter Services.
This year the Inter Services took place in Königssee, Germany; the Army team gathered the week prior to race week for five days of training, allowing them to hone their skills, get comfortable on their sleds and practice the quickest lines. Every morning the team would walk the track, checking out the ice
conditions, memorising the curves and watching how other sliders do it. Then we’d have three training runs each, before heading back to the hotel for video debriefs. Each run takes less than one minute and costs around €30! With minimal time spent on ice each day it is important to understand the lines we have to take, how our sleds will react when we slide and how the ice conditions will affect our sliding.
Visualisation is a big part of preparation and athletes can often be seen at the track with their eyes closed doing mind runs. Race day came and unfortunately the Army team were the underdogs; the Royal Air Force team consisted of four athletes that had represented Great Britain on the World Cup Circuit.
Everyone slid to the best of their ability and we were rewarded with second place, only 1 second behind the Royal Air Force, with the Royal Navy were in third place. I am incredibly proud of the Army team that stayed focused and performed exceptionally, keeping the pressure on the international sliders with much more experience. Personally, I finished 1st female and was crowned Interservice Champion for the 9th year and placed 3rd overall (male and females).
The British Championship were also held whilst I was away, and I was crowned Female British Champion.
Sergeant Dani Scott Racing down the Luge
Left to right: Captain Lucy Wyatt (RE), Sergeant Dani Scott, Lance Corporal Katie Topp (RE) – Army Female Team Members
Sergeant Danielle (Dani) Scott
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