1 Yorks LAD - PARAs 10

PARAs 10 – 1 YORKS LAD

SSgt Paul Hellens writes about his experience at the PARAs 10 on the weekend of the 4th September.

Myself and SSgt ‘Dinger’ Bell decided for a ‘laugh’ that we would enter the PARAs 10 charity tab. Whilst registering we realised that teams of four could be entered. We recruited Cpl Jackson and Cfn Gardner and there we had it, a team to not only represent the LAD or Helmand Coy but the Regiment as a whole.

We decided off the cuff to try a raise a couple of quid for a worthy charity with ‘Scotty’s Little Soldiers’, being highlighted by Dinger. The charity is dedicated to supporting children & young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. We thought if we could raise £100, for something we were doing for a laugh would be better than nothing and help a worthy cause along the way.

With the Battalion BCS Exercise and summer leave, this did not allow us time to train as a team. Training was mostly individual with the odd collaboration with other team members but again this wasn’t ideal, especially as we didn’t know the route (route not released until the morning of the event).

Race day finally came on Saturday 4th September 2021. The team was prepared as best as it could be, it was touch and go whether Cpl Jackson would compete as he was nursing a bad back (not ideal when carrying 37lbs of weight). With 300 people entering the TAB and several hundred more running without weight or with their dogs, there was even a pair carrying 37lb plus a log, the race then began. All 4 of us started ahead of the pacemaker for the ‘P’ Coy 1 hour 50 min pass time, HAPPY DAYS!

From the start it was evident to see that hills were going to be the theme of the race. At times myself and Dinger questioned our idea of having a laugh with our old bodies being put out through their paces. Cfn Gardner on the other hand shot off like a whippet. He finished first setting the team up with an excellent start with a 9th place overall finish (not bad considering he had COVID before summer leave). Next it was the battle of the old boys with me and Dinger neck and neck with each other. I finished second for the team with Dinger seconds behind, both of us coming in with almost 5 mins to spare on the P Coy pass time. Finally, Cpl Jackson put in a valiant effort and battled through the pain barrier to finish just over 2 hours with his back causing all sorts of problems but, he managed to see the task out until the very end.

With 15 teams having entered, our makeshift team (to have a laugh and raise a couple of quid) finished 2nd overall with an individual in the top 10, £300 raised for charity and memories gained all round. We have set the bar now and WE will be looking to do better for next year’s PARAS’10.