Students are top finishers in SkiErg competition

By Chelsea Bissell, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Public AffairsDecember 3, 2014

SkiErg demo
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Stationary skiing
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ESCHENBACH, Germany -- Last month, two Netzaberg Elementary School students placed in the top 10 during the SkiErg World Sprints 2014 Championships.

Ian Thomas, 11, placed fourth and Des'ree Mendiola, 10, placed tenth, in their respective genders out of 1,200 competitors in the under-12 category, who participated in various countries and logged their results online.

Mendiola said she felt excited upon discovering her standing.

"It was unexpected," added Thomas.

SkiErg is a stationary, indoor Nordic skiing machine. Users stand on a platform, grasping handles suspended on cables above their heads. They then bend their knees until in a squat while pulling the cables down and behind their knees.

Similar to a rowing machine, "skiers" can track how quickly they cover certain distances.

During the SkiErg World Sprints Championship, Thomas traveled 1,000 virtual meters in 5:16. Mendiola conquered the same distance in 5:45.

Thomas and Mendiola entered the competition as part of the NES physical education curriculum. The current program teaches lifelong health, emphasizing nutrition and an active lifestyle, said David Gray, NES physical education teacher.

Amy Spring, another physical education teacher at the school, noted that showing students a variety of activities gives them exercise options outside of team sports.

"We want to introduce the students to sports they can do independently," said Spring. "That's the focus of P.E. today."

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