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Are we there yet?
CF Nijmegen marchers at the halfway point
By Lieutenant Karina Masse
Operation Nijmegen
Canadian Forces participation in the Nijmegen Marches
MGen Mark McQuillan of Canadian Operational Support Command leads the Canadian Forces contingent deployed on Op NIJMEGEN 2009 out of Camp Heumensoord on the first day of the International Four-Day Marches.
Refilling his hydration pack at a rest stop, Sgt Gurpreet Singh Dipak of 25 Field Ambulance in Hamilton, Ont., prepares for the second leg of the first day of the Nijmegen Marches.
PO2 Patrick Lavigne of 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S., takes his team through a street lined with supporters during the second day of the Nijmegen Marches.
Nijmegen, Netherlands; 22 July 2009 — Nerves and adrenaline will take most people through the first day of a major test, but the secondday is when reality starts to bite. This year’s CF contingent, made up mostly of first-timers, sailed through their first day on a cloud of enthusiasm generated by the spectators lining the 40-km route — some of them act like they’re at a soccer match or a street party — but now they have to start drawing on their training.
“Frankly, I’m happy tohave a second day at all,” said Sergeant Gurpreet Singh Dipak of 25 Field Ambulance in Hamilton, Ont. Sgt Dipak never got that chance his first time here, in 2006, when the Nijmegen Marches were cancelled after two civilian marchers died of heat stroke on the first day. “Just knowing that I’ll get to see this whole adventure through to the end this time is enough to keep me going.”
Veteran marchers use their experience to keep their teams together. “Having done this four times already, I’ve got a bit of a better picture of what the hardest parts will be for most people, and when to push or when to back off,” said team leader Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Lavigne of 12 Wing Shearwater. The bashful sailor reacts to any comment about the success of the 12 Wing team — consistently the fastest so far — with “It’s not a race, you know!”
Those who come to Nijmegen thinking “race” quickly realize that the long-distance march is full of unknowns demanding both solid training and flexibility. “Now that I’ve been through two days, I’m starting to see a pattern of where my highs and lows are throughout the day. I know what factors, like the humidity, affect me most, and my team as a whole can see it coming who will need a hand when,” said PO2 Lavigne.
As the CF marchers hobble around camp with their heat rashes and blisters that can now only be controlled, not prevented, they all realize that, over the next two days, the strong will also stumble. They pamper their feet, thinking that the next 80 km will be as much a mental test as a physical trial.