Last weekend the St Joseph Williamson Maths School in Rochester was the venue for the Royal Life Saving Society UK Kent Branch Life Support Championships. It is a competition that Lifesavers from the Sheerness Swimming Club & Lifeguard Corps have been training hard for during the last couple of months.

Competitions are the best way of putting the skills they learn into practice, safe in the knowledge that if they do get things wrong no one is going to be harmed. Competitors take part in a series of different events designed to test their First Aid and Resuscitation skills.

Lifesaving Coach Phil Crowder commented “It is really great to see all of our youngsters growing in confidence and self-belief. Overcoming their shyness and nerves to perform in front of judges. I know from my time as a competitor (many years ago) just how much of an ordeal it can be, especially the first time you compete in this type of competition and I am very pleased to report that it was a very successful morning for our club.”

In the Junior boys competition, Cameron Bailey was placed 4th with Alex Mackenzie gaining the Bronze medal.

Whilst in the Junior Girls Jasmine Bishop and Lucy Mackenzie shared 4th Place. Last year’s winner Charlotte Newton had to settle for Silver this time around, with the Gold medal going to twin sister Gemma Newton (who took silver last year).

That makes the Clubs tally in all Kent Lifesaving competitions so far this year to 4 Gold’s, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze. Which makes 2014 already by far their best year for a long time.

It is really nice for me as the coach to see all the hours of training that have been put in over the years are now starting to reap some rewards.