Whanganui will have 12 representatives at the New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships. Photo / 123RF
Whanganui will have 12 representatives at the New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships. Photo / 123RF
Whanganui will be represented at the New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships for the first time.
A 12-strong team from Wanganui Surf Life Saving Club will compete at Auckland’s Sir Owen Glenn National Aquatic Centre from October 4-6.
“This will be a really good experience for our people,” WSLC coach andjunior co-ordinator Daniel Comp said.
The team finished fourth-equal at the regional competition in Wellington.
A former Western Districts representative for surf life-saving, Comp said he was eager to introduce children to pool rescue and said it could be a complementary discipline to competitive swimming.
“This is a great way for the team to keep their fitness up over winter and to stay engaged. I’m really passionate about surf life-saving in Wanganui and giving members opportunities,” he said.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but I know we’ve got people who have medalling times.”
Comp said businesses and fundraising efforts had helped the team get there.
“There is a uniqueness with Surf Life Saving. I’ve got a very supportive wife and my kids are members too. And without the parents, we couldn’t do this. Surf is really a family thing. Sometimes there are generations of families coming through.”
The national championships are the pinnacle of pool rescue in New Zealand, showcasing a range of vital surf life-saving skills and techniques honed in pool environments.
