SOLDIERS' 'YOMP' FOR STANLEY HOSPITAL RAISES OVER £1000
A team of soldiers from MPA has completed a gruelling 80-mile yomp from San Carlos to Stanley raising well over £1000 for King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley.
The soldiers from the Ammunition Sub Depot and the Royal Engineers Maintenance Team taking part in 'Exercise Island Yomp' left San Carlos very early on the morning of Friday, 6 Aug 04 to begin their first leg past Goose Green to MPA. The route was along the gravel road with its loose surface and gentle undulations (if you are driving), although the team preferred to describe the terrain as rough, never-ending, miserable, up and down hills! Despite this, their initial pace was fast and their high morale was boosted further by the first sighting of MPA far earlier than expected.
As MPA is actually visible from about 25km away, its promise of a hot meal and a medic to attend to blisters was a tantalising incentive that was still far off. Undeterred, the team plodded on and 5 hours ahead of schedule entered the base to the cheers of supporters. Suitably refreshed and administered by the medics, the team, many of whom were in obvious discomfort by this point, had no time to sit and relax though. Instead, they hobbled around the messes and bars collecting from the charitable troops there and boosted their total by a further £258.
Shortly afterwards, at half past eight that same evening, the reserves of determination and energy had to be tapped as they set off once again into the clear, starlit but freezing night for their final 37 mile leg. The exhausted team now faced a biting wind which jostled them and hindered their progress and as some of the team were virtually sleep-walking by this point, there was always the danger they would stroll off the road into a ditch. The pace had decreased to a slow but steady slog, although it was soon obvious that the team were to surpass their expectations and arrive in Stanley at about 9am on the Saturday, 6 hours earlier than anticipated.
Spirits soared as the 'Welcome to Stanley' sign marked the end of a march that was a test not only of physical endurance but of personal strength of character and determination. When asked for comment on the march, Sgt Rob Evans described it as "endless", Cpl Oz Schmid preferred "emotional" and Sgt Rob Evans' comment was that it was "worse than a Saturday afternoon shopping with the wife"! The team had endured physical pain and a tough mental fight at times but their success at covering the 80 miles in 23 hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds was an achievement to be proud of.
Mrs Candy Blackley, the charity representative from the hospital met the team at the 1982 memorial to congratulate them shortly after the completion of their march and although the final figure is not yet known, so far the total raised is £1030.52.
Maj. Jill Hamlyn Media Ops Mount Pleasant
