Page 46 - QDG 2022

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Gymnasium
Introduction
The Gymnasium has had a good year in 2022-2023, We have had a number of PTIs leave but more now qualified. A Sqn and RHQ had competed pre deploy- ment training and took over C Sqn on Op NEWCOMBE, the regiment has had a change of CO and RSM. The Gym has taken beach runs, obstacle courses, PNCO Cadres, Recce Cadres, charity event and AT, hosted sporting events plus many other things this year as well as the normal day to day PT programme and fitness testing.
January beach run
The Squadron Leader from C Sqn requested a beach run so we headed to Wells-next-the-sea. January weather didn’t disappoint, there was rain and a cold wind for the whole session. The session started with a run through the wooded area where we could explore the sand dunes using partner races to decide who the real legends were. After the first phase we moved onto the games phase this was to challenge teams through a series of different games we played bulldogs charge then onto casualty evacuations relays and we finished with a finale of combat conditioning which is where you build up the techniques slowly to then be able to have a head to head wrestling match of sorts. The finale is set in a way to build suspense by having everyone sit in a circle facing outwards shoulder to shoulder and the PTIs walk around and then pick 2 opponents , once the PTIs should the words of command “turn and face” everyone turns in and the 2 opponents come to the centre to settle who is the top dog.
No pain, no gain.
PNCO Cadre
The Gym always looks forward to the PNCO courses as its always good hard Phys! Obstacle courses, logs and stretchers, team work or the importance good communication and leadership training and also maybe the most impor- tant part mental resilience training. You always get to see the true character of someone during arduous situations – “SSgt Ellis” Early morning PT starts at 0600-0730, its normally darker colder and longer than normal PT this sets the scene well for what is about to come. Most of these sessions have a demor- alising aspect at the end where the students on course think that they about to finish the session but the gym staff will have something up their sleeves, again this is where you see who has what it takes to be a leader.
Recce Cadre PT
The Recce Cadre was introduced this year to help the new soldiers that had just left training to understand how the Regiment works on operations and exercises. So naturally there has got to be a PT element to this Cadre. The PT is focused on working as a team rather than an individual, the PT is set in a way that is challenging but as a team many hands make light work but only with good communication.
Mountain Biking
The Gym managed to get 8 new mountain bikes this year. Mountain bike skill training was held on a Wednesday sports afternoon for those that were interested in the sport and then the unit had set up a club to go further afield on a Wednesday. These bikes have also
Mountain biking here.