Hamilton and Zane take second at the 2019 Navigation Challenge in Key West, Florida.
Annual Navigation Challenge
In our annual navigation challenge, we are geared up to dive and paired with a member of Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge. Once buddy teams are established and we practice some navigation on land, we practice again in the pool. After lunch we head to the dock and board our vessels. From there, we head 500 meters off of shore. We splash down and take a compass heading toward a target along the shore. We dive dive dive and maintain our compass heading the entire time. Then we swim–without ever breaching the water, or we would face disqualification–for our designated target.
My Dive Buddy, Hamilton
The Navigation Challenge this year at the Naval Air station in Key West was extra fantastic. I was paired with Hamilton Kinard, a member of Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge for this navigation. Hamilton is a really cool guy who shared his story with me. He fought in Iraq, and he was the gunner in one of the armored jeeps. His jeep was blown up by a mine, sending him flying off the top with the machine gun. The machine gun crashed into his chest, cracking the metal plate in his bullet proof vest. Thankfully, he survived with no lost limbs and has full function of his body. He was very cool and easy to talk to.
Second place!
Last year for the navigation challenge, I actually navigated in the wrong direction and our team was pulled from the exercise, but this year I am a much better diver. Together with Hamilton, we got 2nd place! We were so close to getting first place, and I will strive to help my dive buddy and I achieve that goal next summer.
More to Know:
About Zane’s buddy, Hamilton: http://webjobs.kender.org/sdgunnerfund/about/hamilton_kinard
About CWVC:
ed. Cyndi Foisy
