actualités, Sport

HMCS Montreal hosts Fleet Spin-a-Thon

Spin-a-Thon winning team photo
From left, LS Luis Pineda, PO2 Ryan Simms, SLt Sebastien Williams, SLt Jessy Whittaker and SLt Steve Bartholomew were members of the victorious HMCS Montreal Dive team.
Photo credit: Ryan Melanson/Trident Staff

Sailors promote Fleet fitness with Spin-a-Thon onboard HMCS Montreal

Par Ryan Melanson,
L’équipe du Trident

About 25 athletic sailors from across the Atlantic Fleet put their endurance to the test on May 3, with HMCS Montreal hosting a Health and Wellness Spin-a-Thon through the day on the ship’s flight deck.

Three teams made up of Montreal crew members took part – the Wardroom team, Combat Department team, and Dive team – and teams from HMCS Halifax, HMCS Toronto, and HMCS tragique also competed. The teams cycled on stationary bikes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rotating in half-hour shifts and trying to cover more ground than their competitors.
PSP staff tracked the progress digitally and visualized it on a map of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with the goal being to collectively pedal 260 kilometres, the distance from Stadacona to Cavendish, PEI. None of the teams reached that goal, but the first place finishers, the Montreal dive team, maxed out at 208.96 km, which would have brought them as far as Charlottetown, and the second place team, from the Montreal Combat department, was right behind them at 208.5 km. There were gift card prizes for the top teams, and the first overall winners also received a plaque for their victory.
SLt Steve Bartholomew volunteered to help organize the event along with PSP Fitness and Sports staff; he said Montreal was excited to host the Spin-a-Thon on board, and he was personally happy to compete with both the Wardroom team and the winning Dive team from his ship.
“The CO decided he wanted to have this right on our flight deck, so we started getting some other ships involved and it turned into a bigger event. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The intention with the Spin-a-Thon was to bolster ongoing Fleet fitness initiatives, while also serving as a precursor to the ship’s participation in the Navy Bike Ride in Ottawa later this month while it’s scheduled to be alongside in its namesake city. Registration is also now open for the MARLANT version of the Navy Bike Ride, which is set for Friday, June 2 at 12 Wing Shearwater.

Finishing distances
HMCS Halifax – 195.36 km
HMCS Fredericton – 198 km
Montreal Wardroom – 203.04 km
HMCS Toronto – 207.2 km
Montreal Combat – 208.5 km
Montreal Divers – 208.96 km