Reigate Army officer takes on toughest endurance challenge (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Reigate Army officer takes on toughest endurance challenge

10:50am Thursday 9th July 2009

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An Army officer from Reigate has competed in what the Army recognise as the most arduous orienteering endurance challenge there is.

Captain Sarah Pringle, 26, flew to Bavaria to take part for the first time in Exercise Alpine Challenge.

The event, a two-day orienteering challenge, sees competitors race up mountain slopes to 2,000 metres, complete 10km bike rides and canoe across an Alpine lake - all in the same day.

In total, depending on the teams' orienteering skills, the competing teams run just shy of 100km in 20 hours over a two-day period, carrying all the food and extreme weather clothing they will need.

Indeed such are the testing conditions of the challenge, organisers have to limit the number of three-man teams to 30 to ensure safety, with a stringent selection process to make sure competitors are experienced, fit and capable.

Even with this in place, six competitors had to pull out from the challenge on day one due to minor injury, and only one team managed to reach every check point in the race.

Sarah’s team, a mixed team of soldiers from 47 Regiment, Royal Artillery, achieved 200 points out of a maximum of 240, coming third in the mixed team category, and eighth over-all in a time of 17 hours, 56 minutes and 21 seconds.

Sarah grew up in Reigate, where her parents Peter and Jane still live, and went to Dunnottar School, before being commissioned into the Army in 2006.

She has served in Afghanistan and is currently based at Thorney Island, as the operations officer for her battery.

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