Fun and Guardsman games
Published:Monday | July 23, 2018 | 12:00 AMKrysta Anderson
How low can you go? How high can you climb or jump? How fast can you run? It was all fun at Guardsman Games when agility, stamina, and endurance were put to the test. Supporters and adventure fanatics ventured on to the property of Hope Zoo last Sunday for the second staging of the grand sporting event, Guardsman Games 2018.
Hosted by the Guardsman Group Foundation, under the mantra 'Come for the Charity, Stay for the Fun', proceeds from this year's Guardsman Games will go towards assisting Boys of Hope; troubled youth; The Kind Heart Basic School Initiative, to help with constructing schools in rural parts of Jamaica; and the Bustamante Hospital for Children, who were beneficiaries last year for their solar-panelling mission.
Competitors smiled with the morning sun as they performed rigourous outdoor activities for personal gratification during the Guardsman Challenge. Sponsors, companies, and other teams put out their all, with the hopes of not only completing the race, but qualifying to represent internationally at the Obstacle Course Race World Championships (OCRWC). Children were invited to join in on the festivities by participating in the Tuff Kids Race.
Energising MC Jenny Jenny got the ball rolling between challenges, with prizes and surprises for athletes and patrons. The Rising Stars marching band introduced the teams for the start of the main event: the Power Games.
Some 12 teams, each consisting of four individuals - two males and two females - were pumped to go head to head in gruesome challenges and ultimately vie for the top three spots, with first place receiving the opportunity to compete for Jamaica at the OCRWC.
The finalists pulled through almost neck and neck in within the qualifying time, with the fastest time going to Supligen Warriors and the slowest time being earned by the wild card spot, C and S Stars. So for them, timing was everything. The missions saw teams competing in either batches of twos or threes. The barrel roll and sandbag throw were up first. Team JAAR, barrelled their way to the finish line to be ahead of the game on the first group of challengers. JN Conquerors played it smart, coming first of the second set, and SSL Plum Nation rolled in style to finish from among the third team. Supligen Warriors were in top form, winning the fourth set with what appeared to be the fastest finishing time. SSL Money Team quickly followed suit, completing in high speed to place. While Wolf Pack finished first of the last batch.
The games were paused for an entertaining dog display, courtesy of the Guardsman Group. The audience was told to remain still, while their canine unit showcased the tricks of their trade.
With technical difficulties altering the second challenge, all roads led to gruelling obstacle course. Just as before, teams competed in sets of threes, this time around in the reverse order of the first challenge. The aim was to finish the entire course as one unit, so this was the time to make it all count. Running at a rapid pace with leaps and climbs in between, this was certainly not for the faint in fitness. Teams battled it out until almost nightfall, trying to beat the clock.
Spectators enjoyed the music, waiting eagerly to cheer on their favourites. In the end, there could only be one winner. Once everyone crossed the finish line, they took some minutes to tabulate the results. Placing third overall was Team JAAR, while in second place was SSL Money Team. The winner who demonstrated finesse in fitness, with discipline, team spirit and heart, was the Supligen Warriors.