Visit Manager Report
By Fg Off Stacey Kirby
It was decided early on that the 2009 Visit would be to Monte Gordo, Portugal. Following on from the success of the previous 2 Visits I felt that everyone would yet again benefit from the extensive range of facilities, the climate and the superb location. It also meant the wheel did not need to be completely reinvented, which is always a bonus when a Visit takes over 6 months to organise!
When the names started arriving for attendance it was great to see that there were so many new names. Thanks to the initiative of the winter training weekends more and more new people are becoming interested in Royal Air Force Athletics, and this was reflected in the nominal roll for Monte Gordo. All disciplines, standards and ages were covered, meaning a lot of different factors would need to be covered to ensure that everyone got what they came for. Thanks must go to Flt Lt Ben Trapnell, the Men’s Track and Field Team Manager, for all his help with this aspect.
As with all Overseas Visits the emphasis was firmly on training and building up a standard that could be developed and taken into the upcoming track season. To enhance on the daily training routines usually carried out we were lucky enough to persuade Ruddy Farquharson, an English Institute of Sport Coach an Ex Royal Air Force Athlete, to attend the Visit for 7 days to pass on some of his expertise and knowledge….and to basically beast everyone! Thanks must go to Ruddy as his contribution to the Visit was invaluable and everyone will be taking some of his drills and skills home with them. Another massive bonus for all the athletes was Geoff Ingram, personal masseuse to all. Having left the Royal Air Force a few years ago Geoff was more than happy to attend, and be the focal point for all rehabilitation and sports massage issues. He was also able to get in some decathlon training and give some of the young ones a run for their money - again, thanks Geoff.
My objective six months ago was to carry out a 10 day Visit to enable athletes, of all standards and abilities, to train, develop and live like professional athletes, if only for a short while. With the guidance of coaches, the availability of rehabilitation and careful structure of training programs it is fair to say, thanks to the effort made by all attendees, that this objective has been met. Events like the Overseas Visit are essential not only for physical training, but also for morale and to build a solid identity within the Team.
As per tradition an ‘athlete of the Visit’ was chosen and this years award went to Peter ‘Oz’ Ellis for his commitment to his own long-distance training but also because of the efforts he made to participate in other disciplines’ training sessions. He was always extremely eager to learn new skills and techniques to enhance his own training regime.
Finally, the Visit could not have taken place without the support of the Royal Air Force Athletics Association, SERCO Ltd, The Royal Air Force Sports Lottery and the Royal Air Force Sports Board. Without the guidance and funding from these different organisations there would have been no Visit at all, so thanks to all for your patience and your specific contributions to the Visit!
I hope you find some of the articles within these pages interesting and give a good indication of all the effort and hard work that went into a thoroughly enjoyable and productive Overseas Visit. Enjoy!