Competitions at St Edmundsbury Life Saving Club

 

Suffolk Branch Open Water Challenge

See Calendar page for details.

Suffolk Rookie Challenge

The Rookie Challenge was introduced in June 2010 as a prequel to the Suffolk heats of the RLSS National Life Saving Championships. The challenge, which has now become an annual event, involves pairs of Rookies testing their lifesaving skills in three events:

• The Incident - Pairs face an unknown incident with five casualties and various aids with only 90 seconds to save them all.
• The Rope Throw - Both members of each pair take it in turn to coil and throw a rope over 7 metres and pull in their casualty as fast as possible.
• Body Board Relay - Each partner has to body board one length of the pool in a relay race against the clock.

The winners are presented with the Rookie Challenge Shield.

From 2017, a first aid incident was introduced into the competition, to give the Rookies experience of four events just like the Nationals (although the, more fun, Body Board Relay replaces the Swim & Tow of the Nationals!).

 

Christmas Cracker

In December we hold our annual fun Christmas Cracker Competition. This is a team event for all the club members, who battle it out in a variety of events, such as answering quiz questions (on assorted topics including Life Saving), relay races (body board, mince pie, fill the bucket, etc), diving and/or other water skills.

The winners take possession of the Christmas Cracker Shield.

 

Club Championship

This pairs competition is usually held at the end of the Spring term and tests pool skills in the following events:

• Pool Incident - pairs work together to save people from drowning using their initiative and lifesaving skills in just 60 seconds, while keeping themselves safe.
• Rope Throw - coiling and throwing to their partner either 8 or 10 metres away against the clock.
• Swim & Tow - 25 or 50 metre swim & tow against each other and the clock, for the senior pairs.
• Paddle board relay - 25 metre relay race against the clock, for the junior pairs.

Two shields are awarded - to the highest scoring Junior and Senior pairs.

 

Bob Myles Open Water Challenge

This fun competition was introduced in July 2013 in memory of Bob Myles, one of the founding members of the club (see History). It takes place at Felixstowe with pairs of Rookies and Survive & Save members competing side by side in handicapped challenges to test their strength, stamina, technique and lifesaving skill in the North Sea! The challenges consist of:

• Flags - otherwise known as the Shingle Dash if the tide is high and/or there is no sand on the beach!
• Lifeguard Fitness Challenge - competitors race into the waves with torpedo buoys, swim around the course then sprint back up the beach to send their partner on their way.
• Rope Throw - throwing rescue against the clock and the wind.
• Paddle Board Rescue - one member of the pair swims out to a set point, raises their arm to signal to their partner who uses a Paddle Board to rescue them and then they both paddle back to shore and race up the beach.

The winning pair is awarded the Bob Myles Open Water Challenge trophy.

 

Junior Shield and Breseus Cup

Each year the club awards trophies to one Rookie (Junior Shield) and one senior member (Breseus Cup) for their effort, enthusiasm and commitment to lifesaving and the club.

Recent winners of these trophies are:

	Junior Shield	Breseus Cup
1991		W Hawkins
1992		R Archer
1993	Julie Coppock	J Green
1994	Natalie Parrett	M Plummer
1995	Ross Sanderson	Paul Jackson
1996		Claire Jones
1997	Rebecca Miller	Sarah Pawsey
1998	Tom Laflin	Roxanne McNaughton
1999	Steven Edwards	Sarah Prunier
2000	Kelly Newsom	Emma Roland
2001	Becky Grant	Sue Laflin & Jackie Keegan
2002	Hannah Dunnett	Richard Heap
2003	Amy Frewer	Rachel Porter
2004	Aaron Steggles	Freja Dunnett
2005		Julian Loader
2006	Simon Heap	Katie Bramwell
2007	Olivia Steggles	Neil Hamilton
2008	Rowanne Bramwell	Lauren Saggers
2009	Kathryn Kitching	Caroline McCourt
2010	Lucy Clark	Darren Maguire
2011	Jonathan Sharp	Dan Ellison
2012	Sam Truman	Ed Joynson
2013	Elizabeth Poulson	Laura Bramwell
2014	Joseph Bradley	Beth McCartney
2015	Peter Lillistone	Ellie Wright
2016	Rosie Wallace	Jack Bercovici
2017	Emily Golding	Jasmin Raja
2018	Sylvie Melvin	Nigel Pawsey
2019	Cydney Duncan	Jack Lillistone
2020	Eva Torfinn	Neve Maguire & Millie Pearce
2021	Madison Gage	Richard Pearce
2022	Emily Wilson	John Everett
2023	Jesse Mouncer	Lucy Martin
2024	Isla Abrey	Rhys Tanner
2025	Chloe Baker	Rosa Williams
2026	tba	tba

 

Life Membership

Life Membership is awarded to members who have been with us for many years and who have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the club. These are the people who have been involved with founding or running the club and whose commitment and enthusiasm have made St Edmundsbury Life Saving Club the success it is today.

Life Membership has been awarded to:

Bob Myles

Sarah Sheridan

Mike Grainger

Richard Pearce

Darren 'George' Maguire

Sarah Pawsey

Nigel Pawsey

Paul Jackson

Julian Loader

Kate Bramwell

Millie Pearce

 

 

RLSS Competitions

The club participates in the RLSS National Life Saving Championships which are held each year. There are Branch and Regional heats with the winners then qualifying for places in the Nationals (the finals held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, in November).

The Suffolk Branch competition is held in the Summer term and for the last two years has taken place at the Bury St Edmunds pool. There have not been any East Region competitions in recent years, as only Suffolk Branch clubs have entered.