15 July 2005

South Africa's lifesaving team left for the 2005 World Games with a familiar goal in mind: beat the Australians.

The World Games is a unique international event featuring non-Olympic sports. The 2005 Games, the seventh since the inception of the Games in 1981, is being held in the four German cities of Duisburg, Bottrop, Oberhausen and Mülheim from 14 to 24 July.

Although it is the first showing at an event of this magnitude for most of the team, four of the members - Kendal Artz, Bronwyn Baumgart, Ryan Brennan and Barjo van Niekerk - were part of contingent that won the World Club Rescue Series in Italy in 2004.

Van Niekerk is also the current world champion in one event, the 100 Manikin rescue with fins.

Their experience will be invaluable for younger team members like Jade Antunes and Eloise van Gyssen, says coach Valencia Walker.

"We're definitely looking for a place in the top three," says Walker. "Australia and Germany are the big threats, but we've got a terrific chance."

Lifesaving is an utterly purposeful sport that aims to encourage rescuers - pool and ocean lifeguards - to maintain, develop and improve the physical and mental skills needed to save lives in the aquatic environment.

A variety of different events test the athletes' skills, fitness and motivation in situations not unlike those they encounter in their daily rescue work.

"All of our lifesavers have to do exams and patrols to be able to compete," says Walker. "Water safety and saving lives remains our foremost priority."

Lifesaving competitions consist of a variety of events held in still water (pool), in the ocean and on the beach that further develop and demonstrate lifesaving skills, fitness and motivation.

Events include Beach Ocean Man; Beach Ocean Woman; Beach Rescue Board (men and women); Beach Surf Race (men and women); Pool Combined Rescue 100 M (men and women); Pool Obstacle Race 200 M (men and women); Saving-A-Manekin 50 M (men and women); Saving-A-Manekin 100 M Fins (men and women); and a mixed Pool/Beach Relay.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

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