- Desert Kiwis Give It Their All
By W/O Sharon Carrick
On Thursday 9 July 2009, in the Multi-National Force Observers North Camp, Sinai Egypt, eight brave and very determined Kiwis took part in the annual Columbian Death March - ‘Marcha Maxima Exigencia’.
The Death March is held to celebrate Columbia’s National Day. The event itself is a ‘march’ by a team of two dressed in full uniform, webbing (with four magazines), a military pack (complete with a weighted sandbag), and a Columbian rifle. Your age and sex decided the weight of your sandbag, which ranged between 14 - 20 kg. The distance ‘marched’ was 21 km for the males and 14 km for the females. There were only three rules - no running, no getting too far ahead of your team mate (5 m maximum), and only drink from the authorised water stations.
A water stop
So, at 0530 we were up, ready to go with feet strapped, snacks stowed, iPods pumping and a good old Kiwi attitude on board - ‘no stopping till the end’!
The Force Commander greeted us with an enthusiastic speech that left you in no doubt that “pain was something in your head” and “you must keep going to the end”. Little did I know how much that speech would actually help me make it to the finish line.
The girls were away first and after 10 m I wondered how I was going to finish. My trusty partner, Warrant Officer One Willan, took off with a hiss and a roar, pursued by me puffing and panting to keep up! The ‘mature’ guys (Team Ron Jeremy) departed five minutes later, followed by the young guns (K-Town Killers) - all having the daunting task of completing three laps of the course.
Team Ron Jeremy set a cracking pace, with the K-Town Killers jostling the Fijian teams for third place. By the half way mark the two female Kiwi teams were placed first and fourth. Updates on how we were all going were gratefully passed from team to team by our supportive Kiwi contingent members on their bikes.
Kiwi support
Following the 25 m fireman’s lift (I forgot to mention we also had to do that) the female Australian team took the lead, but they were followed closely by the New Zealand team ‘Thelma and Louise’. However, all the will power in the world would not make my legs go any faster. My brain wanted to over-take them but my body had other thoughts! Willing myself to keep going and not let the contingent (or myself) down, our team rounded the last corner - the finish line was finally in sight!
It was amazing to see so many people waiting for us to come in. The New Zealand flag was waving high and we proudly walked (okay, I may have crawled) over the finish line to cheers, clapping, and a large glass of water. Better still, we had come second! But WO1 Willan had her work cut out getting me to that finish line. I appreciated her patience and words of encouragement, and I’m sure that without them (and the whole bag of gummy bears I scoffed), I would have faltered.
It wasn’t long before the second of the female Kiwi teams - the Desert Fairies (complete with their stylish sweatbands) - turned into that last corner. Amazingly, they had maintained their cheerful attitude and were merrily singing as they crossed the line. The ‘fairy’ duo then consumed litres of water, and received many back pats and handshakes.
‘Thelma and Louise’
As we waited for the male Kiwi teams to complete their last lap, the temperature continued to rise. Hitting near 40 degrees, Team Ron Jeremy finally appeared on the horizon and began their last stretch to the finish line. A large crowd of onlookers had gathered but none were louder than the 22 Kiwis there supporting their boys! With a Kiwi flag waving high, they crossed the finish line. Both were looking slightly worse for wear but elated that they could take their packs off and drink as much water as they wanted! A fourth place finish in their category made their efforts worth it.
With one Kiwi team still to come in (K-Town Killers) the NZ Contingent headed out onto the course to support them in. Encouraged (or maybe yelled at) by his partner Private Hepi, Lance Corporal PL Johnston gave it his all. He struggled with the intense heat and dehydration, but his step quickened and his head lifted as the finish line appeared in sight. Shaded by the NZ Flag, held high above their heads, the lads crossed the line to secure fourth place in their category - a mammoth effort in the heat of the day.
I can honestly say that the Death March is the hardest, most challenging thing I have done. It takes determination and sheer grit to complete. Several times I wanted to give up, but the Force Commander’s words kept ringing in my ears and kept me going. The blisters, the sore back, the sun-burnt lips - they were all worth it!
I was immensely proud of not just the eight NZ contingent members who competed in this event, but also the 16 NZ contingent members who supported us every step of the way. If they weren’t cycling beside us, they were cheering us on, fetching us water or providing some much needed shade. Their commitment to us tells me that this NZ contingent is definitely operating as “three Services one Force”.
Happy in their stride
Well done Desert Kiwis!
The Participating Kiwi teams:
‘Thelma and Louise’
- W/O Sharon Carrick (Air Force) and
- WO1 Christine Willan (Army).
‘Desert Fairies’
- CPL Carmen Hollins (Air Force) and
- LWTR Capra Robertson (Navy)
‘Team Ron Jeremy’
- WO2 John Flintoft (Army) and
- SSGT Shane Boyce (Army)
‘K-Town Killers’
- LCPL Jarrod Johnston (Army) and
- PTE Mckye Hepi (Army)
Image Gallery - Issue 107