[clear - refresh] ---THE ETCH-A-SKETCH BLOG--- [created by may]


08/07/2005
In OCS, you make things happen.

In the words of the famed Wing Sergeant Major (WSM), OCS is a premier institute, you are the top ten percent and you better use your brains..

How right he was. It cannot be further emphasised than the victory of the tug of war team that beat off the other wings in ocs to emerge tugofwar champions for the 5th time in some 6 years. To appreciate the fullness of this victory, you must know this.

This team of 11, later cut down to a final 10 started training 5 days before the competition. Of the 5 days, we trained 4 of those. We were slightly unsettled initially; our team was cut down from an original 14 because of the postings after the leadership term came to an end The team itself is quite small, the heaviest just 73kg and the lightest at 58 kg.

We started training just 5 days before. But WSM, Master Warrant Paul Singh knew what he was doing. He prepared us pyschologically, he steered our mindsets and aligned us to a commmon goal. He desperately needed us to get our objectives aligned. We had to think as ONE. The teamwork in tugofwar is absolutely essential. The physical aspect was not a major factor as he could do little improve our physical fitness in just under a week. He prepped us to the max, he pumped as up and his passion was evident from the start. Paul Singh insisted on training in the morning, in the dark, so we woke up at 0445 every morning to start training at 0500. We were excused from our usual 1.5km run and we were the last to go to breakfast. An hour or so of training for each day for 4 days. i didn't think it could be done. We didn't think that it could be done. but paul singh knew it could. We were his body, and he was the mind. with the mind and body working together, what could stop us? He believed, and he so believed so.

Today was the day of the competition. The other teams seemed significantly bigger, or was it just my imagination? Right from the start, we heard comments that confirmed what we had been told. everybody wanted to beat bravo and wanted bravo beaten. bravo were the defending champions and how sweet would it be to overcome opposition like us? what's more, we are new, just 19 days into ocs and smaller than the rest. but our secret weapon, Master Warrant Paul Singh aka Sadaam Hussein ( coz he looks him)was our key to success. Senior commanders were calling out to WingSM, some talking about him repeating his success, winning the competition with his team, others saying that he 'jia' and 'pao' all already. It was nerving. We had some tough training. We had the trashing out session. What made it tick for us was that it wasn't just WingSM talking all the way. It was him setting the direction and giving us the 'body' the space and time to talk and say our bit. that's very impt, to have input from everyone. And to make it more efficient, he made us concentrate on our weak points, that we weren't to feel too happy over what we had done well but instead looking ahead to make it better. And that certainly should be the way.

We won the first 2 ties with ease. of the best of 3, we won 2 pulls to win the tie for 2 ties. In our semifinal tie, we were up against the mids(midshipmen)(sailors)(navy) and they were a strong lot. We lost the first pull; they caught us by surprise and threw us off balance. That shook our confidence and it was our first loss, but WSM came up and gathered the frayed nerves and made the guys believe. The team came back strongly and recorded 2 other wins, the 1st win being the most impt because it strengthened our resolve. Our finals was a relative breeze and we beat hotel wing in straight pull.

The resolve and passion of WingSM is unmistakable. He can motivate his men to work with him. The expert can inspire people and prepare them for the mental challenges ahead. Master Warrant Paul Singh SHOWED us how to take pain and we have to learn how to take pain properly. This sets the course for the next nine months. The adrenaline and pumping will keep going and will remain steadfast in the hearts and minds of the tugofwar 2005.

We are the champions. Deserved Champions.

wizzing away on 11:16 PM

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