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2 minute read
Ex Camino Eagle
Twenty personnel from RAF Benson and RAF Odiham were given the opportunity to take part in Force Development in Spain facilitated by the Robson Academy Resilience Centre.
There are four Camino Eagle schemes a year, all in September. The main aim of the week is to develop spiritual, mental, and physical resilience whilst expanding personal awareness and emotional intelligence via the means of blended Force Development.
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The exercise comprised of a long distance, low-level mountain walk (roughly 110km) over a period of five days from Ourense to Santiago De Compostela. The Camino Way has many routes, starting from France, Portugal, and Spain. It is one of the longest and most inspiring walks in the world due to the beautiful scenery along the way. As a result, every year thousands of pilgrims, walking enthusiasts, and explorers embark on a Camino journey.
The week allowed everyone to take a step back from their fast-paced work and home lives and take the time to reflect on their personal journeys and the paths they will take in the future. Everyone involved managed to utilise the low impact physical exercise as a vehicle to explore and strengthen spiritual and cognitive resilience. This process was facilitated by subject matter experts and made easier because of the simple fact that the experience was happening outside of individuals’ normal day-to-day environments.
On day one of the walk, everyone was excited to embark on this journey together. The Scallop Shell, an iconic symbol, and yellow arrow markings led the way. The shell is said to be a metaphor; its lines representing the different routes, all leading to one point, the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. Everyone also started collecting stamps in their Camino passport. This is proof that you have completed the journey. You are required to get a minimum of two stamps per day from restaurants, cafes, and hotels in exchange for your completion certificate at the end.
The route on day two was slightly harder, 31km via much steeper and uneven terrain. The weather however was described as ‘perfect’ for walking. The sun was out and shining with a mild breeze, this kept morale high. By day four and five clouds and rain started coming in, but to everyone’s surprise this was refreshing and quite enjoyable. Sometimes change is good, and on this occasion it was.
Cpl Steven Smith said: “I mostly enjoyed being given the freedom to set my own pace and walk with like-minded people. We all had the opportunity to mix with the group, walk in pairs or individually. This allowed me to meet new people and have a good time”. On the last day, everyone walked the last stretch to St James’s Church as one. This emphasised the importance of having people by your side to help you along the way.
Throughout the week the Padres also encouraged multiple discussions focusing on spiritual contemplation, reflection, self-awareness, positive mindsets, and becoming the best version of yourself. Padre Philip said: “although I’m a Padre, I’d never done anything like this before, nor seen the need to. There’s something about walking 100kms, following an ancient path trodden by pilgrims for centuries, whether alone, or as part of a group of people, that is refreshing. It really clears the head and I doubt if anyone had trouble sleeping at night!”.
Everyone came back feeling that the trip has been a huge success and would highly recommend it to others.
To find out more and express interest, please visit the Eagle’s Scheme page on SharePoint.
Fg Off Karina Filipiak
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