633, was the total number of British servicemen and women killed throughout the recent Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. A huge loss of life, that to many, has unfortunately gone seamlessly unnoticed. The media reported on the goings on, yet so many of these lives were forgotten about almost immediately.
Until you are in that world, it is very difficult to attempt to understand how it feels. These selfless heroes laying down their lives, fighting not to defend their country from bombing raids or invasions, but for each other.
When searching for the definition of Camaraderie I found this..."mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together." In no way do that come close to describing the bond formed between soldiers. A google for Military Camaraderie arrives far closer to the mark with... "There is nothing in the civilian workforce that can approximate the bonding that occurs in wartime. ... It follows therefore that finding the military version of camaraderie in a civilian occupation is almost impossible."... Quite possibly then, no words will suffice? Surely though, when confronted with such extremely environments, to protect one another is merely human nature? Like a mother or father protecting their children?
I may have fallen well short of the mark, attempting to describe this to you all, but what I do know is that I witness a part of it everyday. The support offered to each other throughout a tough workout, the shared suffering, binds people together like no amounts of bicep curls or calf raises every would. Did you ever wonder why you find so many friends at the gym?
I want to give back. On the 29th of September, at 11:00 the Trainers will begin a 24 hour event. In pairs, we will complete 633 Clean and Jerks, loading to be dictated by an average body weight per pair. One rep for each life. We have 24 hours to finish.
Even though the full 24 hours is reserved for the team, on the day there will be various different ways in which you will all be able to take part.
The Royal Marines pride themselves on peak physical performance and unbreakable mental resilience. Commando Training is almost entirely centred around a final hurdle; The Commando Tests. Four extremely difficult feats which not only test the fitness of the recruit, but also simply his ability to endure pain. Developed from the start, the Commando qualities are fully engrained into most by this stage and are exactly what, allows these young men to succeed:
Courage, Determination, Unselfishness and Cheerfulness in the face of Adversity
Yet, these tests attempted separately, without the cumulative affect of the 30 week Commando Course are entirely doable. The 633 Event is no different. However, it too is placed at the end of a significant challenge.
Each workout posted in the month of September, programmed for Monday - Saturday, will be a hero WoD. Most designed by myself and mostly for the Royal Marines killed in this time period.
These workout will be hard, every single one of them. They will make you sore and challenge your body. Be careful and don't you be a hero. If you need to rest, do so. If you feel any kind of niggle then back off, listen to the team and scale when told to do so.
The point of this entire month, including the culminating challenge, is to raise money and awareness for the Foundation Reorg. Reorg is a Royal Marines Charity, based at the Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines, who offer free training to any serving Marine, or veteran, suffering with any mental health condition as a result of their service. Something very dear to my heart and supported across the UK by CrossFit affiliates through the GC Resilience Project.
Check both Reorg Functional Fitness and Reorg Jiu Jitsu out on Instagram.
Further details of how you can show your support will be released this month and next. Keep your eyes peeled and get excited for a hard yet very worthwhile September!
CrossFit Cardiff WoD
Deadlift
3 - 3 - 3*
*The goal of these sets is to set a new 3 Rep Max. However, following each set, each athlete must row a max effort 20/15 Calorie Sprint
Following each round, write your loads and times down on the whiteboard please.
