The inaugural ‘Pucka’s Strongest’ was held at Puckapunyal Military Base on Thursday, August 25.
It was a day of friendly competition and a chance to show off all the hard work the different units of defence have put into their physical training.
Entries were open to all serving members and determined the strongest male and female in weight-classed strength events and the champion tug-of-war team.
The muscular and endurance strength of individual participants was put to the test in solo events such as the truck pull, plate hold and maximum dead-lifts.
Each unit or ‘school’ faced off as a team in an elimination tug of war.
Captain Leah Swain is second in command of B Squadron at School of Armour, the school which won the tug of war.
She signed up for the event yesterday after hearing her school needed a female for their team.
Captain Swain said that physical fitness benefits more than the field work required of her team. She believes the benefits to mental health are equally important.
“We’re just trying to bring this stuff back into vogue after COVID so people can see that their posting doesn’t just have to be their work.
“They can get social with it, they can play sport, they can do a lot more,” she said.
“We are are going to have a School of Armour versus School of Artillery game out at Kings Park next month.”