Polar Star Crew Stays Active While Deployed to Antarctica
When the Polar Star journeyed to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze earlier this year, the crew had a full complement of new fitness and workout equipment, courtesy of the Coast Guard Foundation.
A dozen new spin bikes allowed Coast Guard members to work out on the ship’s main deck plate. LCDR Karen Kutkiewicz and Royal New Zealand Navy LT CDR Jim Johns led classes three times a week while underway. The crews reported that the temperature ranged from 9-44 degrees, with winds of fifty knots.
Morale officer Ensign T Caro shared,
“The spin bikes are a great addition to our cardiovascular equipment. They afford our crew members the opportunity to stay in shape and maintain fitness standards while underway when going on a run isn’t exactly an option. The rest of the funding was used to upgrade gym equipment, like barbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls. Overall it has a positive impact to the crew, particularly when we’re underway or in port calls where we wouldn’t otherwise have access to a gym.”
The crew of the Polar Star recently received a new boost to its morale fund to support recreation and enrichment activities for future deployments; new regulations during the pandemic will restrict crews to their ships during port calls to maintain optimal health. Foundation support will provide for basic necessities, fitness equipment, game nights, and other morale-enhancing activities.
