Molesey Boat Club were privileged and delighted to be able to play a small role in providing some respite to one of the platoons from The Coldstream Guards who are to be deployed to Afghanistan this month for a six month tour.
MBC jumped into action following a request from The Coldstream Guards to provide a fun day of team building at the club, with the aim to provide a challenging and enjoyable activity away from the usual familiarity of their daily work and to put them in an environment out of their comfort zone.
The platoon commander, 19 troops and a Major (who rows for the army) duly arrived at the club, bang on 9am (as punctual as expected of our boys in green), on a bright sunny morning in October. Fortunately Fe Wood’s team were ready for them and they were frog marched into the gym for the first Ergo session.
It was immediately clear, and not lost on the girls present, that these guys were extremely fit and ready for whatever we were going to throw at them. Nick Wilde, our volunteer coach for the day, took command, instructing them on the cycle of the stroke, numbering off, safety on the water and generally filled their heads with lots of information that would or could prove useful later. “Got that? Lets go on the water!”
Three eights were lined up on the hard outside of the club - the boys were now beginning to understand what they had got them selves into. The coaching continued with all the do’s and don’ts, slides, riggers, how to step in the boat and so on.
In order to reduce the chances of a swimming session and to alleviate the coxes from any near heart attacks, it was decided that one MBC rower would be put at stroke and another at bow to provide some stability during the initial training on the water. I had the stroke seat in what turned out to be a most amusing morning as the boys came to grips with the complexity of rowing.
We spent a couple of hours getting to grips with rowing an eight (well, rowing full stop!) and I can recall some of the commentary, which went something along the lines of: “This is taking multi tasking to a new level” and “didn’t think it would be this hard “ , along with a couple of expletives , which were to be quashed promptly and firmly by the cox – who was now in control.
The woefully and inadequately prepared, but equal crews, were lined up for a short race, in which “we were robbed “, rounded off the morning.
Steve Parsons did his magic in the kitchen and rustled up an amazing three course lunch for the boys. With the bar open, the boys' experience at the club was complete. Well, so we thought….. but Steve went one step further to make this a day to remember by offering to take them in his motor launch to Kingston.
During lunch I had the opportunity to speak with some of the soldiers and one, a medic, told me about his last trip to Afghanistan: “I moved with my platoon and slept in the open for three months. I carry the same pack as the commandos but also carry the medical equipment. What does that lot weigh ? the pack weighs 80 KGs. How can you walk with that on your back ? We walk slowly and it helps that I play semi professional rugby league when off duty so I am quite strong….”
The platoon and our MBC volunteers all really enjoyed the day and the club was presented with a shield from the Coldstream Guards Regiment, as a token of thanks – which is already proudly hanging in the club! We have Remembrance Sunday coming up at the club (8th November) and it will have more poignancy for me as a result of meeting these special people.
Thanks to everyone that made the day possible and make sure you look out for the article in the Surrey Advertiser (Elmbridge Edition), which is out on Firday.
