Page 14 - QARANC Vol 16 No 1 2018

12 QARANC THE GAZETTE
The AMS team that competed in the Army Inter-Corps athletics championship on 24 May 2017
Army Medical Services Athletics
The AMS Athletics Championships took place at RMA Sandhurst on 22-23 June 2017. The highly competitive nature of the AMS championships has strengthened the AMS team and this has been evident in some outstanding performances in recent years, including impressive performances by QARANC personnel. Prior to the competition, the AMS team had just returned from a training tour in Portugal with most of the team members in top form and who had already showcased an impressive individual and team performance in the Army Inter-Corps Championships.
It is also interesting to note that QARANC has proven to be a formidable force in the AMS with a growing number of our soldiers taking on athletics disciplines as hobbies. There has been a growing interest in participation in sports among Defence Medical Group (DMG) units and this is inspiring many of our nurses and healthcare assistants into trying athletics. There are a significant number of QARANC soldiers in the AMS, Army and even tri-service teams competing at higher levels alongside their clinical shifts. With my experience in organising teams from unit level, getting a quarter of the number of individuals who show initial interest to compete is counted as success!
Some DMG units were on their debut entry to the event and others returning after a long period of absence. Overall, DMG (SE) were placed 2nd behind 1MWD while DMG (S), DMG (N) and Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) were ranked 7th, 9th, and 14th respectively. As it has always been every year, the finals of the tug-of-war and the relays were the most competitive and arguably most interesting part of the event. DMG (S) narrowly won the 4x400 metre relay while DMG (SE) were comfortably victorious in the tug-of-war. The epic fight-back from DMG (S) to clinch the 4x400 metre relay was among the main highlights of the day. There were some brilliant and nerve-racking events earlier in both the long distance and sprint events, seeing athletes winning their events only in the final second of the race.
The scorching sun was there on Friday to send a clear message to our endurance runners who may have regretted their decision to take on long distance events while their team mates cheered on from the BBQ stand. The limited time to
DMG S) Athletics Team
do strength and conditioning training during the build-up to the event was a major factor in dealing with the higher temperatures.
The event ended with an impressive medal haul for QARANC personnel from DMGs and field units. This stemmed from hard work, commitment and the passion of athletes training alongside their normal working hours. It’s no secret that you ‘’achieve what you put in on the track!”
With the athletics team growing from strength to strength and the number of QARANC athletes representing the AMS increasing event after event, we are bracing up to more successful championships in the coming years. Athletics, like all other sports, is an integral aspect of the military. It promotes team building, friendship, leadership, fitness and everyone is encouraged to get on board.
Special thanks to our athletes, volunteers and more importantly, the organisers for working around the clock to make the 2017 competition yet another successful one.
Congratulations to all the participants, and especially to the QARANC medal winners: Cpl Menri, Cpl Marmah, LCpl Norris, Cpl Hodgkinson, Pte Hagenbuch, LCpl Gurung, Cpl Brand Silver, and the men’s 400m relay team – Cpl Menri, LCpl Sherpa, Cpl Meadows, and LCpl Gurung.
Cpl Storms Menri