Page 148 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

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Cyprus in June. The arduous camp was conducted at Gracie Barra Cyprus in Limassol with 8 participants rolling for up to 5 hours a day in the blistering summer heat. Plans are in motion to conduct the next training camp in 2018 to Malaga, Spain at the renowned Roger Gracie Academy.
The team has had a record-breaking season with entering and medalling at high level Military and Civilian events across the UK and Europe. Congratulations to Capt (MAA) Reg Pierce, Sgt (SI) Bill Gates and Sgt (SI) Michael Qasim who represented the RAPTC in the discipline of Judo and medalled at the Army Champs and Inter Services. In the discipline of BJJ it has been an outstanding year for SSgt (SSI) John Marshall who competed and medalled at the Armed Forces and Emergency Services competition and was also promoted to Blue belt which usually takes a minimum of two years. In addition to this, SSgt (SSI) Barry Mairs a newcomer to the team has had a phenomenal season which amounted to a staggering 7 Gold medals, 2 Silver medals and 1 Bronze medal in such a short space of time. He was also selected to represent the Army and competed at the European Champs in Portugal. With these accomplishments and commitment to the sport he has cemented his position as the BJJ head Coach.
Sgt (SI) Nic Santangeli continued to build on his commitment and dedication to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He has juggled
the balance of work with relentless training camps and has fought in the cage on 4 occasions this year, building on his reputation and making a name for himself within the MMA community.
The RAPTC Martial Arts team is in excellent shape and growing with popularity monthly. The team has been reinstated as an active sport in the Corps and anyone interested, regardless of ability should get involved with combat sports and reap all the rewards it has to offer.
The primary orienteering season runs from September, when the various regional inter-unit leagues commence, through to May and the Army Inter Unit Championships. Interspersed throughout the season are events where the RAPTC generally participate.
This year the RAPTC Orienteering Championships took place at Hawley on Wed 25 Oct 17, unfortunately only 5 competitors were available to participate. The course consisted of 30 controls in a 1-hour score format (collect as many of the controls as you can, in any order, within the time limit). Each control collected had a value of 10 points, but if you went over the 1-hour time limit, you lost one point every 6 seconds over the hour, so attention to timings and distance was crucial. In first place, with a respectable score of 230 points (23 controls) was Maj Steve Collinson followed by Lt Col Bob Taylor with 168 points (points deducted for going over the time limit). Both now in their 50s, it just goes to show that orienteering isn’t all about fitness – it’s not called ‘cunning running’ for no reason! Surely there are a few younger RAPTC Instructors out there that can knock these old guys off their pedestals?
Over the weekend of 2-3 Dec, four members of the RAPTC Orienteering team travelled to Penn Wood near High Wycombe to participate in the Army Inter Corps Orienteering Championships. The event consisted of two traditional Cross Country events, comprising a night event on day 1 and a daytime event on day 2. The team members were Maj Steve Collinson, Maj Chris Deed, WO1 Al Harris and SSgt Mark Beverley. As we only had four runners available, we entered the Short Course along with 13 other Corps teams. Following a disappointing start, the RAPTC team lay in 7th place after the night event on day 1. However, a strong performance on day 2 saw the RAPTC team recorded the fastest combined team time of the day. With times combined over both days, the RAPTC managed a credible 3rd place overall.
The 2018 season beckons and, despite low numbers, the Corps will again endeavour to hold a Corps Championships and enter a team into the Inter Corps Championships. It is also our aspiration
to conduct an overseas sports tour this year and we are currently looking to participate in a 4-day event in Tuscany, Italy.
The RAPTC Orienteering Team is always on the lookout for new runners, so if you think you might be interested; please contact the Secretary, SSgt Rob Harrison in the first instance.
RAPTC ORIENTEERING
SSgt (SSI) R Harrison RAPTC
Lt Col Bob Taylor presenting the RAPTC Orienteering Challenge Shield to Maj Steve Collinson