Page 89 - RAPTC Year of 2019

Between 10 and 15 years or so ago we were all spritely ‘young’ senior athletes but as we meet at London Stansted at 0400 on a humid July day we compare summaries of our
injury history and what training we haven’t been able to achieve in recent months.
As part of a team from Army Athletics, 4 RAPTCI’s are heading to Turin, Italy for the 2019 European Masters Games. While Capt Joe Foreshew and I compare injuries, its clear WO1 Kelley Haniver & SSgt Mikey Combe were our best medal prospects.
On the first day of competition, WO1 Haniver began the RATPC medal collection with a tactical run for silver in the W40 5000m. With the 10k road race held out of town in the picturesque region of Venaria the next morning, it was an early start for the rest of us. SSgt Combe led the team out on a hot humid morning in a fast 10k road ‘more like trail’ race. On tired legs from the race the night before, the ever strong WO1 Haniver chased down the leading lady to secure first place.
Capt Foreshew and I purposefully stayed towards the middle of the pack with a cautious post injury return to racing. The multiple switch backs round the manicured gardens of La Venaria Reale gave us chance to cheer on the racing snakes leading from the front. A surprise 3rd place for me in the W35 category even confused the hosts who tried to present me with the wrong medal in an awkwardly chaotic medal ceremony.
Showing the ultimate dedication to his sport, SSgt Carl McMullen pulled off a last minute decision to drop into Turin mid relocation from Aldershot to Blandford. Not exactly on route, but with a tactical dip on the line he stole the Gold in the M40 400m Hurdles.
Capt Joe Foreshew & WO1 Kelley Haniver on a 10k recce in the picturesque Valerian Reale
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EMG RAPTC Team Selfie: SSgt Carl McMullen, Capt Joe Foreshew, WO2 Issy Menzies, WO1 Kelley Haniver, SSgt Mikey McCombe
With a cooler start the final day of competition, the half marathon was the sole event of the day. Whilst the other Army teams who had finished competing were enjoying a wine tour, the remaining RAPTCI competitors ventured out again to Valerian Reale.
SSgt Combe found himself in the lead group, comfortably ticking off sub 5.30 min miling. The route, more trail underfoot, took the runners out of the estate’s gardens and into the surrounding forestry. Not conducive to a quick time the race was about securing the position and hanging on. SSgt Combe finished 4th male overall and 1st M40 whilst I managed to hang onto 5th female overall, 1st in the W35 age group.
The success of not only athletes from the RAPTC and AAA but the wider Army in sports such as swimming and hockey have laid the foundation for competition at the World Masters Games in Tokyo 2021. And while we may have a few years on us now the competitive edge is clearly still as strong as ever.
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EUROPEAN MASTERS GAMES 2019
WO2 (QMSI) I Menzies RAPTC
87
Mind, Body and Spirit
The Annual Journal of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps
1860–2020 160th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RAPTC
Number 103 2019/20
First Published in 1920