An Cosantóir

| 33 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE DF ROWING CLUB The Defence Forces Rowing Club recently held its first training camp of the year at the National Rowing Centre Cork. This was the first of four one week camps planned for the 2025 racing season in a bid to further develop the club athletes skills, competency technique and fitness levels. The significant aspect of this camp was this was the first camp under High Performance coach Mrs Sanita Purspoa. Sanita, who retired from international rowing last year is a former back to back world champion in the single scull and has competed at three Olympics in 2012, 2016 & 2021 Tokyo. Sanita's expertise and technical knowledge combined with her ability to impart it to our athletes was felt instantly and we all look forward to working with Sanita in a bid to go faster. The camp itself involved a mixture of up to 2 water sessions a day either side of ERG and bike sessions. As we commence our third year affiliated with Rowing Ireland, the club are as ever looking to expand on its club members, currently standing at 27 across all services within the Defence Forces, however you should note you do not need to be located or living within 1 Bde to be a part of the club, With plans for redevelopment in Island Bridge Dublin and boats ready to be handed over, now is the right time to join our club. Members from the RDF are also permitted to come along and attend one of our camps to either learn to row initially or improve your rowing skill under the guidance of an ex Olympian, which no other club in the Defence Forces can currently offer. If this is a sport you might like to try, please feel free to BQ Dave Williams or Sgt Ronan Leahy at the following emails for further information on camps dates, events and races. dave.williams@defenceforces.ie Ronan.leahy@defenceforces.ie DF MOUNTAINEERING On the 4th of March, 13 members of the Defence Forces Association of Mountaineers (DFAM) embarked on a continuous professional development (CPD) trip to Calpe, Spain. This location was chosen due to its abundance of sport climbing opportunities, with both single and multi-pitch routes available within close proximity. The trip was fully self-funded, providing an ideal setting for members to develop their skills in these varied environments, skills which will be beneficial for teaching students on future courses. Typically, the week begins with lower-graded single-pitch routes in Sierra de Toix, allowing everyone to become familiar with the rock. As the week progresses, the group tackles bigger multi-pitch routes at different locations. This year's trip culminated with an ascent of the Penon de Ifach, where five personnel climbed the Via Panny, a 220m, 7-pitch route, while the remaining members climbed Via Velencianos Direct, a 195m, 5-pitch route, concluding the CPD trip on a high note. | 33 What 20km in a quad looks like One of the Defence Forces Rowing club crews carrying out a safety check prior to going on the water Sgt Shane Hennessy COX and Mrs Sanita Purspora getting ready for a water session CQMS N. Shannon, Sgt D. Nordon, Capt K. King, Cpl G. Sweeney and Pte Peacock Sgt Nordon, Capt King and Pte Peacock FQMS Whelan and Sgt Nolan Via Valencianos FQMS F. Whelan, Sgt S. Nolan, Sgt D. Clarke and Pte C. Teevan pose for a photo during a climb

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