48 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2008
Next monthNNext ext montthh
Offi cers enjoy
Skyy larking
WHEN Lt Greg Young and
Lt Cdr Andrew Mills were
dispatched to Ghana with the
Mobile News Team to cover
‘The world
HMS Endurance’s visit (see
page 8) they were prepared for
owes the
appearing in front of the camera.
Experts in the RN’s global role
and Endurance’s environmental
Grand Fleet
mission, they could cope with
any question from journalists...
a great debt’
except, perhaps, “What will
Harry Redknapp be saying to his
– German
players at half time?”
But somehow the duo ended
surrender
up as Premier League football
‘pundits’ on national TV.
It all began when local media
supplement
visited the survey ship and the
pair chatted with Ghanaian TV
presenter Toni Boateng.
Greg happened to mention that
he was a Pompey fan, while Andy
said he’d lived in Manchester for
a few years.
This prompted Toni to invite
the duo to visit the studios of
Skyy (not Sky) TV to watch
Pompey vs Manchester United
live – too good an opportunity to
pass up, so accept they did.
The offi cers were escorted
to the studio, ushered to the
presenter’s desk, and introduced
to ‘Ossie’, the host, in full view of
● Top shot... the leading RN athlete of the season, LOM Andy Dawkins, delivers another powerful performance
the cameras.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Brett Turner, FRPU East
Then the gravity of the
situation hit the pair: the
Ghanaian Gary Lineker had
decided to use them as his
pundits, live on TV.
Ever the skilled media
They went
operators, they continued with
their insightful comments on the
unseen –
A high-class fi eld
past, present and future of the
Premier League, holding back fi ts
tapping the
of laughter every time the host
NAVY athletes could not quite match last year’s
worst of all – but they can also provide the motivation to train and
referred to one or other by the
achievements – but many still delivered high-class
achieve better levels of performance in the future.
vast archive
wrong name.
performances at the 2008 Inter-Services track and
In the women’s team, AB Kenisha Asquith (Nelson) ran well to finish
The live build-up came to a
fourth in the 100m and 200m, just missing a medal in the latter by a
of 20th
field championships.
conclusion and eventually the
very small margin.
game began, linked by satellite
Eighteen medallists from the past three years were unavailable LLogs Rhian Hanson (Richmond), recently returned from deployment,
from South Africa... on to a
Century
because of other commitments – providing opportunities for fresh talent finished fourth in the discus and shot and will hope to add to her
14in portable TV with the worst
to sample the competition hosted by the RN at Victory Stadium, writes previous medal tally next year.
signal reception imaginable – so
naval images
team manager Paul Winton. Lt Victoria Southern (Lancaster) came home from deployment just
bad, in fact, that it looked like it
The top performing Senior Service athlete of 2008 was LOM Andy five days before the event and took fourth place in both the javelin and
was snowing at Fratton Park in
Dawkins (Neptune). 400m hurdles, an unusual mix of events. Victoria has previously won
August.
Commitment and dedication to a challenging and structured training bronze in both sports.
Bad though the image was
regime enabled him to improve personal best performances in shot, Multi-eventer Lt Cdr Carolyn Lucocq (RAF Uxbridge) has previously
(the ball itself was invisible) it
discus and hammer. Regularly throwing the shot over 15m (49ft) he tasted success in the heptathlon and many individual events, but this
was about to get a whole lot
improved his personal best to 15.98m (52ft) and was invited to compete year came fourth in the long jump. Musn Kiri Wedlock (RMSM) could
worse as the satellite feed from
at the GB Olympic trials where he finished ninth. For the second year not quite match her 1,500m silver of 2007 as she moved up a distance
South Africa was lost and the TV
in succession he gained two medals at the Inter-Services level, a silver in to finish fourth in the 5,000m.
station reverted to the Ghanaian
the shot and a bronze in the hammer. Among the men, LWEA Mike O’Neill (Sutherland) finished fourth
equivalent of the test card.
The best performance from sportswomen at the Inter-Services came in the triple jump for the second ypj p ear in succession. Logs Jackson
Just as the fi rst half came to
courtesy of Lt Linda Lawrence (JSU Norrthwood), another atthlete hlete Simatei (also Sutherland) displatei (also Suthe yed a very strong arm, for a
end, the signal was regained and
rewarded for steely determination and adherence to a dedicaherence to a dedicatedted forformer Kenyan san steeplechaser,t in the javelin, where 17-year-
(horror of horrors) United were
training regime. She won bronze medals over both 800m and 1,500m,both 800m and 1,500m, old ET(ME) Jooe Andrews (Sultan) also competed as the
1-0 up.
characterised by her strong finishing sprints to get into those medal to get into those medal youngest member of the Rooungest memb yal Navy team. MA Glenn Long
Seconds later, Ossie was back
positions. (CTCRM) displa(CTCRM) disp yed strong moral courage competing in the
live: “Greg, 1-0 to Manchester
POPT Neal Edwards (Raleigh) has made a habit of top-three e a habit of top-three 800m, recoveriing from illness than t disrupted his training,
United. What will Harry
finishes in the 400m hurdles over the past eight yeight yeearars. He’ss also also to delivto deliveer his usual levr his us el of commitment towards the team
Redknapp be saying to his players
Kent Kong
benefited from a focused training regime – and he’and he’s also aided efforeffort.
at half time?” He then turned to
development of fellow athletes as the RN coach.ch. Earlier in the season Mne Glyn Fuller (11 Earlier ATT
Andy: “Fletcher scored in the
– continuing
He set a fine example in the opening track evevent to finish Sqn) wSqn) won the RN decathlon title as he finished a
18th minute. How did the goal
second with a season’s best time in a high-quality 400m uality 400m strong sevstrong enth in the Inter-Services championships,
affect the rest of the half?”
the frigate’s
hurdles. achieving an excellent 3.6m in the pole vachie ault along
“Never have two Royal Navy
LPT Jim Buttle (Collingwood) has been invoolvlveed with d with the wthe way – not bad after a long absence from the
offi cers cuffed, bluffed and
Senior Service athletics since he first joined the RN d the RN eveveent.n
Far East
serenely waffl ed through 15
nearly ten years ago. During that time he’s competed ompeted AB Michelle Pinion (Northumberland) was
minutes of the most misinformed
in a wide range of events including sprints, jumps,jumps, the top RN heptath thlete, overcoming S/Lt Ellie
half-time summary, given with
odyssey
middle-distance and endurance races. BerB ry (also Northumberland) in a closely-
confi dence, knowledge and
His natural aptitude has always been with the h the fought contest.fo
balance,” said Andy.
jumps and whilst he may consider his best evvent ent Next year presents a significant challenge
The pair also had a secret plan
to be long jump he won a bronze in the high igh for the RN team to achievfo e success at the
to mention as many ship’s names
PPluslus
jump. Has Jim ever considered a decathlon? Inter-SerIn vices level; much will depend
in commentary as possible.
For the first time in living memory the Royaal l on the aon vailability and commitment of
There were easy ones – “plenty
Navy had an Olympic medallist in the team,m, aatthletes returhl ning from sea and operational
of Talent in the team,” “Superb
albeit carrying an injury. deplodeploymentsyments.
striker of the ball”, “Tireless
Quake ‘n’
Logs Fidelis Gadzama (Nelson) won a silveer r The men will compete in the SoutherThe men n Men’s League
worker”, “Needing a morale-
medal representing Nigeria in the 4x 400m m Division 3 in 2009 with the potential to win promotion in Division 3 in
boosting Victory” and even the
evac – no
relay at the 2000 games in Sydney. the fivthe fivee-ma-mattch season.c
Motson inspired “His mother was
The former African junior champion andand Although 2008 has proAlthough ved to be a difficult year to
born in Cattistock” were skilfully
stroll in the
Commonwealth Games medallist was keen for another n for another field teams strong in depth and numberfield teams st s, several strong
slipped in.
Olympic opportunity and arrived at this yearear’’s Ns Nigerigeriian an individual perforindividual per mances were posted.
Greg then masterfully added
Olympic trials with a season’s best time of 46.8 seconds,f 46.8 seconds, The final maThe final m tch at Guildford was memorable for more
park for
the obvious “They are known
which looked good enough to at least get him into the relam into the relayy than the torthan the torrential rain shoren wers throughout the day, notably
for their late-season Endurance,”
squad. for the 4m 38s time posted by Lt Cdr Graeme Riley (most for the 4m 38s
while Andy chipped in with
reservists
Unfortunately, he was injured in the trials and so he refocused nd so he refocused recently HMS recently HMS Turbulent) on his final day in the Service.
“There was an Ocean of class
his efforts on representing the RN at the Inter-Serr-Services. Although this time remains 46 secs sloAlthough this wer than his best, it
between these two Illustrious and
Embarking upon an intensive course of treaf treatment that was an excellent time for a vas an excellent eteran athlete in his age group.
Astute teams.”
allowed him to run in the 100m, he limped across the line in a cross the line in a Graeme left the SerGraeme left the vice as the Royal Navy’s long-standing
Unlike true pundits, the pair
blanket finish with the realisation that the 2009 season w09 season would 3,000m steeplechase record holder (9m 00.1s).3,000m steeplech Will we see his
managed to avoid those much-
be his next opportunity to compete. like again?like again?
lampooned football clichés: “A
Other RN team members finished just outside the medals tside the medals
game of one and a quarter
in a wide range of events. Fourth-place finishes can be the hes can be the
● Sprinter L/Cpl Kunle Atiba powers towards the fiSprinter L/Cpl K nish line
in in the 100mn the 10100m0 marina Continued on page 47
100%
NEW LIFESTYLE. NEW ZEALAND. NAVY
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Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Andover) plc.
0048_NN_Oct.indd 148_NN_Oct.indd 1 119/9/08 14:15:369/9/08 14:15:36
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