Members of Lowestoft’s Waveney Surf Life Saving Club are celebrating after clinching two medals in the National Surf Life Saving Championships.
The club bagged bronze medals in two events at the championships in Branksome Chine in Bournemouth - a first in the club’s short history.
Life Saving is a thrilling and tough sport that tests the skills and physical fitness of athletes across various water and land-based competencies including swimming, board paddling, surf-ski paddling, board and tube rescues, beach sprints and flags.
The national championship saw thousands of competitors across Masters, Youth and Nipper age categories come together from across the UK.
Waveney SLSC, a relatively young club with just 60 members, was up against several larger clubs including those from Devon, Cornwall and South Wales where the sport flourishes.
The event saw Ben Every secure a bronze medal in the Under 15’s Ironman competition, which involved a gruelling swim, board and surf-ski against some tough competitors, while Will Harker took bronze in the Under 10’s Flags competition.
Isla Thorne, Maia Thompson, Ollie Owen and Nick Ayers also put in sterling performances for the club.
Mr Ayers, training officer and a founding member of the club, was delighted with their achievements.
He said: “It was fantastic for the club to be competing at a national level and to bring home two medals is a tremendous result.
"Our club is going from strength to strength, and I can’t wait until next year when we hope to take a bigger team to compete.”
The club will be hosting the Eastern Regional Life Saving Championship at Lowestoft’s South Beach on Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3.
Clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, Eastbourne and Brighton will be competing. Each day will be action-packed, with events starting at 9am and finishing late afternoon.
All are welcome to come and watch the event.
If you would like to find out more about joining Waveney Surf Life Saving Club, email waveneyslsc@gmail.com
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