The Hawaiian Wounded Warrior Program recently extended an invitation to Wounded, Injured and Sick Royal Navy and Royal Marines to compete at their annual Na Koa Wounded Warrior Canoe Regatta at Waikiki Beach at Fort DeRussy, Hawaii, USA.
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) made an invaluable contribution towards enabling participation in this extraordinary event. A ‘specially selected’ team of 10 Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel in recovery from Royal Navy Recovery Centre Hasler, took part in the once in a lifetime opportunity in Hawaii.
Launched in 2009, Malama Na Koa organised the regatta to assist recovering troops through the ‘healing power’ of the Hawaiian waters. The first event took place at the Pearl Harbour Marina with 67 teams from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and other organisations. The event has grown to include nearly 500 paddlers, 175 volunteers, and roughly 300-400 spectators. The Hawaii Chapter of the Association of the United States Army has hosted the event since 2014.
The event took place on Monday 12th to Monday 19th August 2024, with this year's race being a double-elimination, five-lane straightaway, approximately 1/4 mile, on the waters off Fort DeRussy. With the group divided into 2 teams, The RM team recruited LMA Crawford and SLt Sheldon to make up the numbers for Hasler A and the remaining Naval personnel made up Hasler B. Practice went well for both teams, and they were all ready for the Regatta. Race day then fell upon the teams - crew position changes and a bad lane were produced as reasons for the Hasler A’s slower finishing time but an overall finishing position of 15th out of 50 teams for Hasler B was a great achievement.
“The event ended what was a memorable week which all participants will never forget. The trip itself was an awesome experience and it would not have been possible without the kind sponsorship of [Army veteran] Ed Jesson and his wife Juliet Jesson. Additional thanks must go to the RNRMC who provided a very generous grant to enable the trip to go ahead.”
Lt Cdr Mark Gibbs
The role of sport and adventure training in service life are well documented and wholly encouraged. In addition, the positive effects that competitive activity brings to recovery is significant and the reason why it forms such a fundamental element of the Defence Recovery operating model. As such, sport and adventure training are an integral part of many individual recovery pathways. The RNRMC is proud to be a part of the incredible journey for the team at the Na Koa Regatta 2024.
