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Mr Afghanistan: Cpl Christopher Symes, 7RAR, rises from the benchpress after his unbeaten 165kg single lift during the RTF1 toughman competition at Camp Russell.
Photo by Capt Haydn Barlow |
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WHEN 2RTF arrived in Afghanistan last month, they knew they had a weighty task ahead of them – but they perhaps didn’t expect this challenge.
Shortly before 1RTF departed, they left one last legacy when members threw down the gauntlet by holding a competition to find the Task Force’s strongest man.
Cpl Christopher Symes, 7RAR, emerged victorious after a huge lift of 165kg, which was too much for his competitors to match.
He was crowned the strongest man in the near 400-strong Task Force, and was rumoured to have smashed the Robertson Barracks record in the process.
“After six months in theatre, the lads have had plenty of time to train for the event, so I’m not surprised by the heavy lifting we saw here,” said Task Force PTI Cpl Brent Thomson.
The competition was conducted in bright morning sun at Camp Russell, with a good-sized crowd gathered to witness the spectacle.
The rules allowed for three single lifts to be conducted under the strict supervision of Cpl Thomson and each competitor was broken into one of four weight categories based on body mass.
The heaviest single lift in each category was named the winner.
TOUGH GUYS
Weight division winners were:
Cpl Stefan Webb, 7RAR (60-70kg: 110kg);
Maj Mark Ascough, 1 Int Bn (71–80kg: 120kg);
Spr Jason Grant, 1CER (81-90kg: 135kg);
Cpl Andrew Freeman, 7RAR (91-100kg: 140kg)
Cpl Christopher Symes, 7RAR (100+kg: 165kg). |
