HALIFAX – Every year Canadian military personnel from across the country take part in the “Four Day Marches Nijmegen” in the Netherlands. As always, a team of military personnel representing Maritime Forces Atlantic is among the Canadian group taking part.
As they march they chant, “My team leader came to me…my team leader came came to me…asked me what I want to be.”
They all want to be part of the Maritime Forces Atlantic, or MARLANT, Nijmegen Marching Team. The team of 10 is one of 14 Canadian teams that will take part in the 99th International “Four Day Marches Nijmegen.”
“It’s four days of marching 40-plus kilometres in a row,” said Petty Officer Rob Creer, the team leader. “It’s the equivalent of doing four marathons back-to-back.”
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. Canadians will be marching because of their strong ties to the Dutch.
“We’ll be going to Vimy Ridge to do a service there with the whole Canadian contingent. There’s approximately 230 Canadian service personnel going over,” said Creer.
The MARLANT team trains three days a week. Today’s training was a 40-kilometre march.
“We did 20 yesterday,” said Kate Gouthro, a Leading Seaman with the Navy.
“We’ve actually worked up to do this distance. A few weeks ago we did two back-to-back 40-kilometre marches,” Gouthro said.
Navy Petty Officer Patrick Braye is the oldest member of the team.
“The training has been a great motivator. I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I started,” Braye said.
“It’s amazing because so many people will honk and yell and give us the thumbs up,” Gouthro said about their training days.
As the sound of bagpipes fill the air it should be noted that the MARLANT team is made up of personnel from the Army, Air Force and Navy. They’ve been training since mid-March. With the training comes sore feet, and they carry about 30 extra pounds in their backpacks.
“You definitely get blisters on your feet,” said Braye.
The Nijmegen Marches have evolved from humble beginnings as Dutch Infantry training to a 4-day event that draws 45-thousand civilians and military participants from around the world, challenging their physical and mental endurance in front of an estimated 1-million spectators.
“The experience and my Canadian pride is just something I can’t express enough,” said Braye. “I can’t wait to show our flag and represent our country. It’s going to be one of my proudest moments in the Navy I think.”
“It just wells up pride in you being Canadian and knowing they have that admiration for us,” said Creer.
The team has three more training sessions before leaving for the event which runs from July 21st to 24th.
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