Stunning JOG Success at Ten Tors 2024
After a pre-event briefing (mainly about not getting heat-exhaustion) and the final preliminary bits of paperwork being printed off, 25 JOG or ex-JOG students jumped on the minibus down to Dartmoor on Friday 10th May. After arrival at the much-changed Okehampton Army Camp (now with helicopters, several thousand tents, hundreds of portaloos, alongside burger-vans, a climbing wall, merchandise stalls and several hundred Army personnel and vehicles), the group had one last discussion about their routes, a massive game of piggy in the middle with a football and then ate a hot meal and headed off to bed.
The staff were up cooking at 0300, and at 0500 "Chariots of Fire" was blasted out of the P.A system as a final wake-up call. We served the students a nice full English breakfast and issued them with hydration sachets and strict instructions regarding suncream and sunhats! At 0600, we then walked up to the "Start" line to witness a parachute display and an inspirational speech from Ray Mears. The cannon sounded and off they went!
Team staff had to stay at the camp, as we avidly refreshed the internet page and checked at the Info hangar to see how they were progressing. We even bumped into ex-JOG students, Mohammed Naji and Oliver Guppy - both Ten Tors medallists themselves! Mr Rhodes was not officially staff so he was wonderfully able to venture out onto the Moor and cheer on our students - from a distance! Back at the camp, several students / teams from other schools were dropping out due to the heat.
The JOG students all got through the heat of Saturday and got camped before Sunday arrived and was even warmer. The staff even struggled to eat our cream-tea without being in the shade. As Sunday afternoon crept upon us, it was clear that all 4 groups were going to get round - an incredible achievement, and not a single student dropped out. As usual, the finish line was a mix of happy tears, smiles and relief.
RECORDS & STATS:
Achievements below are even more impressive due to the additional challenge provided by the heat, although I'm sure the navigators were VERY happy with the visibility.
2024 - First 100% student completion when more than 1 JOG team entered.
55-mile team - ROUTE Z - Imogen Wood, Elliot Ward, Connor McClean, Reuben Wood, Lewis Usher, Amelia Patterson.
Amelia was the first double gold from JOG. This was also the fastest ever 55-time for a JOG 55-mile team (out of 3 entries). Elliot, Lewis, Reuben, Connor became the joint 2nd people to get all 3 medals (Lucy Jackson became 1st in 2017) and these 4 also still hold the JOG record for fastest 45-mile team (out of 10 entries since 2008).
45-team - ROUTE Q - Will Jackson, Rob Thomson, Dom Carter, Theo Moore, Antonio Finol and Gabriella Fyall were 3rd fastest ever JOG team (out of 10 entries since 2008)
35-mile team - ROUTE N - Tom Usher, Ed Carter, Evan May, Jensen Walsh-Hill, Jack Lilley and Nitya Sanaveerappa - Full team completed!!
35-mile team - ROUTE O - Lauren Baldwin, Isla Biggs, Xavier Heath, Wes Marsh, Olivia Fyall and Alfie Bailly - Full team completed!!
I'm massively proud of all these students, and actually in awe of what they achieved. Even I would not have wanted to do this terrain in this heat with that weight of a backpack.
As always, a huge thanks to everyone for their support over the course of the Ten Tors season - this couldn't happen without you all. Thanks to: (in no particular order) Mrs Brooks, "Smokey" Bill Smith, Iain Richards, Jazzy Smith, Ben Rhodes, Jacqui Surgey & Tina Lawes, Imogen Wood, Elliot Ward, Fac. Admin ladies, Matt Doughty, Yousaf Mirza, Cora & Jack Fievez, Aaron Bilsdon, the long-suffering Mrs Gray and anyone else I've probably missed...
For further photographs please click here.
Well done everyone.
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