South African lifesavers are gearing up to compete against some of the world’s finest lifeguards in an International Surf Rescue Challenge in Texas in the US next month.
They will compete in various aspects of life saving challenges including swimming, rescue techniques and learning experiences.
South African Lifesaving team coach, James Thomson says South Africa has been participating in this challenge since its inception.
“We are one of the more competitive nations in it. We generally always end up in the top 3. It is 100% self-funded, which obviously is a challenge. So, the various clubs whose members make up the national team and the individuals themselves have been doing a lot of fundraising. The main funds that we still looking to raise is the actual trip itself. We have set up a Back a Buddy online. Anybody who would like to help, we would really appreciate you potentially helping us out,” says Thomson.
