Despite over 500 of the Grahamstown army base's soldiers being out on deployment, members of the 6 South African Infantry (6SAI) battalion who were here to take part in the annual Fittest Soldier Competition made us proud.
Despite over 500 of the Grahamstown army base's soldiers being out on deployment, members of the 6 South African Infantry (6SAI) battalion who were here to take part in the annual Fittest Soldier Competition made us proud.
Hosted in Grahamstown last week, the sharpest and most competitive soldiers from across the country came to take part. The South African infantry formation sent their best candidates to compete against each other. Captain Carl Fuller, acting officer commanding during the event, said for 6SAI to host the Fittest Soldier Competition was “a privilege as we are the first air assault battalion to host the event”.
The infantry battalions involved in the competition include air assault, para infantry, motorised infantry and mechanised infantry.
The competition ended last Thursday with a 20km endurance walk, with all 219 competitors taking part. The first soldier finished in three hours, while the last to finish took six hours. Fuller said the week “was outstanding and a big success, with everyone excelling”.
Asked why 6SAI was selected to host the 2012 Fittest Soldier Competition, Fuller said each unit will get a chance to host the event, and this year was Grahamstown's turn. While the rain and cold weather conditions disrupted a few events, only the swimming and “special” items were cancelled.
The special item was to see competitors taking to an obstacle course after a 5km walk during Wednesday's events. Fuller felt that 6SAI did a great job hosting this year's Fittest Soldier and congratulated the local soldiers who took part and earned the battalion a trophy for their outstanding efforts.
Participants were evaluated on their physical training skills, which are basic components of a soldier's training. These included sit-ups, push-ups, various shooting techniques (running, side-running, backward running) and the beep test.
