JWOC training camp -Portugal

On the weekend of the 11-14th March, 3 prospective JWOC athletes, Darragh Hoare, Liam Cotter and Aoife O’Sullivan (all BOC) travelled to Portugal under the leadership of Jens Waechter (BOC) to get some orienteering experience in relevant terrain in advance of Junior World Orienteering Championships in July. Over the weekend, we squeezed in 7 maps, covered approximately 45km and got about 10 hours of quality orienteering in the Portuguese forests and cobble-stoned towns.

After an early start on Friday morning, we flew from Dublin to Porto and then drove a further 2 hours to our accommodation. After checking in and having some lunch, we put on our O-kit and headed to nearby Aguiar da Beira village for some sprint training. This hilly medieval village was filled with narrow cobble-stoned streets, many stairs, some rough open areas and offered plenty of route choice. After a quick debrief, we headed back to our accommodation to make dinner and further discuss our various routes. Jens spoke to us about the importance of recovery. We winded down with some mindfulness and then headed to bed for an early night.

In order to somewhat replicate what we’ll experience on race day, we decided to leave the house early each morning, this also allowed us plenty of time to come back to the house for a longer recovery period during lunch. Each map was conveniently located within max 20 minutes driving of our accommodation. On Day 2, we focused our attention on the middle distance discipline. Now before anyone gets the impression we went to Portugal to escape the Irish weather, Day 2 tells a different story. With average temperatures of about 4-6 °C and constant rain which only got heavier as the day progressed, it was certainly not a sun holiday. However, that’s not what we were in Portugal for, we were here to train and that’s certainly what we did. 

The first area we went to was described as being very relevant for both the JWOC middle qualification and final. Runability was very good in this area however, I found I was very cautious of the bare rocks and feared slipping in the wet conditions. I thoroughly enjoyed this intricate area and was excited to see the other terrains Aguiar da Beira had to offer. Our next session of the day took us to an area just next to the middle embargo on a map made by JWOC mappers, Janne Weckman and Timo Joensuu. This area was very technical and rather slow going with rough conditions underfoot. I learned the hard way that it can be very difficult to relocate in this complex terrain. The rain had really set in at this stage so we headed back to the house to shower, refuel and take some time to recover. During this down time we uploaded our gps tracks to quickroute to discuss route choice and learn from our mistakes.

Our final session of the day brought us to another middle relevant area mapped by the JWOC mappers. Putting back on our wet kit that afternoon and facing into pouring rain was difficult and I certainly needed some extra motivation. Darragh’s wise words gave me the extra boost I needed to hop out of the car; ‘Aoife just think about it, in an hour and a half’s time you’ll be even more prepared for JWOC and you’ll be warming up in a hot shower.’ We set off on another middle distance length course and I quickly learned the rain isn’t that bad once you’re out in it. I clocked in over 17k and plenty of climb by the end of day 2 and was looking forward to getting some dinner into me and then another early night. We also had access to a pool/jacuzzi at our accommodation that served as a nice recovery tool.

On our last day in Portugal we shifted our focus to the Long Distance and the 1:15,000 scale. Thankfully the weather had dried up, although it was still cold the sun was shining so we couldn’t complain. The first area we tackled was a 6.6k course focusing on long legs planned by the JWOC long distance course setter, Diogo Miguel. One of the biggest things I took from this training was that the vegetation can be brutal and I was very grateful for the elephant tracks that had been previously bashed through the dark green areas. 

Our next session was some O-intervals. Both mental and physical fatigue was setting in at this stage and I found I was making silly mistakes so I cut this session short to save myself for our final area. We ate our lunch in the lovely village square where we had parked the car, after having first bathed our feet in the ice-cold water of the fountain.

We ended the camp on a high with a final session in a contour, green and rock only map. I felt revived after having napped during our extended lunch break. I enjoyed being able to really focus on the contour details without any excess clutter on the map. It was a small but brilliant area and although I plodded around the course very slowly, I did so with a big beaming smile on my face. 

We certainly squeezed a lot into this short weekend and got a great taste of the terrain Portugal has to offer. I left feeling hungry for more and can’t wait to get back into this luscious terrain in a few months time. 

Thanks so much to Mike Long, Dave Masterson and Jens Waechter for organising all the logistics behind the training camp and to Jens for accompanying us on the trip, serving as chauffeur, coach and mentor. Thanks also to anyone and everyone who has supported the junior squad who helped part fund this trip. 

Aoife O’Sullivan W20, UCDO/BOC

IOC 2022 – Irish Sprint Championships – IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Please see the attached information in relation to the IOC Sprint event on Friday 29th April 2022.

The Sprint map for IOC 2022 was originally mapped in 2019 and updated in 2022. As outlined in the information in Bulletin 3 it complies with ISSprOM 2019 but NOT ISSprOM 2019-2.

This has implications for competitors in complying with the Bulletin 3 information.

Map

Competitors shall not enter into, or cross, areas marked on the map as olive green.

Competitors shall not cross features marked on the map as un-crossable.

This information clarification notice will be on display in the race Pre-Start area.

It will  also be on the legend, printed on the map.

From:

IOC 2022 – Day 1 Sprint team.

Consider becomming an OI committee member?

From Orienteering Ireland outgoing chairperson – Mary O’Connell

In line with the constitution of Orienteering Ireland (OI), I will not be putting myself forward for the position of Chairperson at the AGM as I have served three years. Debbie Whelan has also decided not to put her name forward for the position of Communications Officer due to her professional and personal commitments.

We would encourage all members of OI to consider putting their name forward for committee positions and in particular those of Chairperson and Communications Officer. If you would like to know more about what being an officer on the committee entails, do feel free to contact me or any other member of the committee for information.

I would like to thank Debbie for the excellent work that she has done on the committee over the past 5 years. She has certainly transformed the way that we use social media and communicate with our members – thanks Debbie for all the hard work.

And a very big thank you to all members of the committee for all the work that they do to promote orienteering in Ireland and also to the volunteers throughout the country, without you we would not be able to enjoy the sport of orienteering.

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Irish Orienteering Championships this weekend.

Mary

Proposed motion to change Orienteering Ireland structure to a Company Limited by Guarantee.

As you may be aware, we are proposing to change the structure of Orienteering Ireland from an unincorporated association to that of a company limited by guarantee.

The main reasons why it is proposed to change the structure to that of a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) are:

(a) The company will have perpetual succession. Any contracts Orienteering Ireland enters into, assets it acquires, court proceedings it issues or must defend, will be in the name of the company as opposed to the individually named committee members.

(b) Currently committee members or members of the association may be held personally liable for their actions, and recourse can be sought against their own personal assets in the case of a judgement being made against them by a court. With Orienteering Ireland, it could be an accident at an event or function where insurance cover, even if in place, may be declined, or not cover the event. A company enjoys the benefit of limited liability protection. Therefore, any director or member of a company who acts on behalf of the company cannot be held personally liable for their actions (unless there has been fraud or reckless trading or the proper books of account have not been kept by the company).

(c) From a governance point of view the company is a better form of legal structure as it will complement and assist in any reporting requirements we may have to our funders, statutory authorities or stakeholders. The modest costs of statutory compliance a company has are far surpassed by the benefits of limited liability. The company is a separate legal personality and the corporate veil offers a shield of protection to the directors of Orienteering Ireland.

For futher information on the 2022 AGM please click here.

Orienteering through MapRun – How to get started

We are happy to announce the release of our new MapRun Instructional Video.

This video will guide you through the app and give you all the information you need to get out on your first MapRun course!

Follow this link for courses near you, downloadable maps and written instructions – https://www.orienteering.ie/what-is-orienteering/maprun/

Big thanks to all involved!

Upcoming Level 1 Basic Instructor Course

Dates for the next Level 1 Instructor Course are 18th – 19th June (Saturday and Sunday)

Upon completion of the training course, candidates will be required to log teaching hours and complete a practical teaching assessment to qualify as an Orienteering Ireland Level 1 Orienteering Instructor.

Prerequisites

Candidates should have a basic knowledge of the sport, including some event experience, ideally this should consist of a minimum of three public events on Orange or Red courses.

Course Overview

• Explore a range of activities suitable for the introduction of orienteering in the classroom, school grounds and in local parks and woods.
• Plan and deliver sessions that develop basic understanding of orienteering skills & navigation techniques.
• Be introduced to the Orienteering Ireland Orienteering Ability Awards as a progressive scheme for the advancement of skills in novice and beginner participants.
• Become familiar with equipment and skills necessary to organise orienteering activities.
• Learn to carry out risk assessments and use these in conjunction with the orienteering venue terrain guide.
• Use course planning tools to organise simple orienteering activities in private grounds, parks and small woods.

Book your place

Here is the link for the instructor training course on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/320714173727

More info can be found on the Orienteering Education page here: https://www.orienteering.ie/orienteering-education-resource/education-courses/

Mac Tire Award – final call for nominations

Nominees are sought for this award, which will be presented at the Orienteering Ireland AGM on 30th April 2022 in Killarney, during the Irish Orienteering Championships.

Please send all nominations to: deirdrenc@orienteering.ie by Friday 22nd April.

The Mac Tire Award is awarded annually in recognition of the development of the sport of orienteering. Some examples are: a new map; a new technology; bringing orienteering to a new part of the country; introducing a new group to the sport; revitalising a neglected area of the sport; enhancing the social aspects of the sport, staging a major event.

Eligibility:

• Once five years have passed a person is again eligible to win an award that they have won before.
• Serving Orienteering Ireland committee members cannot receive the Mac Tire Award.

Nominations:

• must be from an Orienteering Ireland affiliated club, or from a member of an Orienteering Ireland affiliated club. Nominations do not need to be seconded.
• must contain a short description of why the nominee should receive the award – typically this will be two or three sentences.
• should indicate if the person was nominated unsuccessfully in a previous year.
• must be submitted by the closing date.
• should be for an individual – group nominations are discouraged.
• will be published on orienteering.ie in advance of the award ceremony.
• cannot be from a current judge or from a current member of the Orienteering Ireland executive committee.

Judges:

• the award will be judged by the previous three recipients of the award.
• the judges’ decision is final.
• group awards are discouraged – the judges should strive to select individual winners
• if there are no nominations, or if the judges feel that the nominees are not of the required standard, then an award may not be given.

Orienteering through MapRun – Promotional Video

We are happy to announce the release of our new ‘Orienteering through MapRun’ Promotional Video.

Big thank you to all involved and especially our glamorous models!

Be sure to click the highest quality and turn the sound up.

Our MapRun Instructional Video will be available to view in the very near future so watch this space!

Play True for Peace

Friday 8th April 2022 is WADA Play True Day – a day that is dedicated to Clean Sport and raising awareness among athletes, the sporting public and others, of the importance of preventing doping. This year it has been re-branded as “Play True Day for Peace” – the feeling is that values such as fairness, integrity and respect for rules — which are embodied within the Play True message — contribute to harmony in sport and society.

Follow the Play True Day campaign in real time via WADA’s social media channels and dedicated digital space. #PlayTrueDay and #PlayTrueforPeace

WOC 2022 Selection Policy

The Orienteering Ireland WOC 2022 Selection Policy has been published:

My thanks to the selectors for their work in preparing the policy.

Darren Burke

High Performance Manager