Page 83 - The Bugle 2018

British Army Warrior Fitness (BAWF) 2018
With Women in Ground Close Combat soon to Auditano (AGC) were determined and showed
be a reality, 4 RIFLES used the 2018 BAWF to showcase just how capable our female soldiers can be. The season consisted of 5 regional events, culminating in the final at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
In preparation, the team was put through their paces during an intense training programme that involved two sessions per day focussing on all of the components of fitness and movements that are replicated during all military physical training.
Each event allowed each team to field four members. Three would work while one rested. Our busy schedule, however, meant that we would only be able to field a team of three. Rest was a luxury not available to the 4 RIFLES team.
Cpl Hazell (AGC), LCpl Leighton (AGC) and LCpl
some true grit and exceptional attitude during their training sessions knowing full well that the odds were stacked against them.
They went into each event totally focussed and by Event 3 they had already qualified for the finals! Following some last-minute substitutions of Pte Kader (AGC) and Captain Pearson (RAMC) we managed to get our team to the finals with a full quota of team members. The 4 RIFLES ladies still showed a high level of mental and physical resil- ience and finished 6th overall at the 2018 finals at RMAS.
A big well done to all involved and hopefully this may continue onto third season for 2019.
SSgt Hennessy
4 RIFLES QMSI
REST WAS A LUXURY NOT AVAILABLE TO THE 4 RIFLES TEAM
Welfare Office
It has been a very busy time for the Riflemen and families of 4 RIFLES over the last 12 months. We have been adapting to our Specialised Infantry role while in many cases still being deployed on opera- tions. With a number of different deployments all over the world the families have been positive and receptive to change in the Battalion.
These challenges happened alongside the arrival of a new Welfare Officer, Captain Rob Parsons who replaced Steve Watts in April. The busy routine has continued along with a variety of local events including coffee mornings, Wives’ night out in Aldershot, and cheese and wine nights. We have planned a number of events for the coming months to keep the families busy. Many of the activities have been while the Riflemen have been away from home and extra funding has made the supporting activities a lot easier and more diverse to suit all ages.
Primary welfare support to the Riflemen and their families, in need, can and does range from housing and school issues to serious social problems and the mainstay of Welfare. Thankfully with the start of a new welfare clerk (Christine Ingram) the welfare office can look to the future and a period of stability. The welfare team look forward to making sure we continue supporting all Rfn and the families of 4 RIFLES in the busy periods ahead.
Capt Rob Parsons Unit Welfare Officer
4 RIFLES Triathlon Team
Following the success of our 2016/17 Triathlon season, which saw us one point away from first place, we have seen the 4 RIFLES Triathlon team continue to grow, welcoming new members of a variety of standards. For many they have never taken part in a triathlon before, often finding the swim a sticking point with competence and confidence. We have overcome this by introducing more coaching for weaker swimmers, including lunch time ‘skills and drills’ which has made a huge difference for our novices and the more experienced alike.
The Battalion itself has seen much change since our 2017 move to a Specialised Infantry role, which we thought may have had an impact on numbers. However, this has not been the case and we have grown from strength to strength. Individuals have joined from across the Unit, including attached arms and 4 RIFLES personnel, all wanting to improve their fitness with our training and to challenge themselves by taking part in triathlon events.
Our training consists of four sessions a week, which works on CV endurance and supporting strength exercises. This means lots of time on the watt bike, out on the area doing hill reps (everyone’s favourite!), specific triathlon circuits and lots of swimming, including open water. We train before Battalion PT time, for up to an hour and a half and take great pride in the training showing results, not only in our competitions but in individuals PFA times and general fitness, especially in those coming back from injury.
As triathlons are a unique mixture of disciplines we do not focus on simply being the fastest runner or the quickest swimmer. We look at improving our transitions between disciplines, training to conquer the dreaded wobbly legs from bike to run. We discuss having the correct equipment and kit to allow us to participate, especially comfortable tri-suits. And we focus on improving our techniques, particularly weaknesses or lack of experience when transitioning from pool swimming to open water, often something people find daunting and difficult for the first time.
We have been very lucky in support from the Battalion both in funding, time and release from duties. We have a pool of road bikes to allow those who don’t own one personally to participate and we have been given entry fees for all of our events. A highlight of the training calendar recently has been a paid for trip to Newport Velodrome with a professional coach for the afternoon. This was a truly special experience for all taking part and it tested the confi- dence of even our steeliest team members. There were certainly some inter- esting faces pulled once we entered the Velodrome and the slopes real angle became clear, prompting comments of ‘it doesn’t look that steep on TV!’. SSgt Wainwright
4 RIFLES LAD
The welfare team supporting a families day
THE RIFLES
FOURTH BATTALION 89