Fremantle takes home bronze at 2020 Pool Lifeguard Challenge

Fremantle Leisure Centre has won third place at the 2020 Pool Lifeguard Challenge held at Beatty Park Aquatic Centre last month. 

The annual event, sponsored by the Leisure Institute of WA Aquatics and facilitated by Royal Life Saving WA, aims to test the skills of lifeguards and encourages the continued improvement of lifeguard teams at aquatic centres across Western Australia.

Lifeguards Tom Kelly, Chloe Brown, Clancy Rose Higgins and Pia Rodgers, who formed Fremantle Leisure Centre’s team, competed against 12 other teams in the Perth metropolitan area including Kwinana, Mandurah, Armadale, Booragoon and Bayswater.

Fremantle Leisure Centre Manager John East said judges scored how teams responded to emergency scenarios, including communication, skills, decision making, the use of equipment and the overall effectiveness of managing incidents.  

“The day began with a team relay and obstacle course where lifeguards demonstrated their swimming, manikin tow and CPR skills, and concluded with the highly-anticipated final challenge comprising one of three acted-out emergency scenarios,” Mr East said.

“There were about 20 actors spread over two swimming pools performing a range of aquatic activities and the lifeguards had to work together to manage a series of problems.

“The incidents managed by the lifeguards included parents not supervising their young children, misbehaving swimmers not listening to direction, an older swimmer with a dislocated elbow and a person with a spinal injury who stopped breathing.

“This is all in 10 minutes so there’s a lot going on; it’s certainly not your average day at the office.

“Big congratulations to Tom, Chloe, Clancy and Pia for their incredible teamwork and emergency response skills, which saw them finish in the top three out of 13 teams.

“Fremantle Leisure Centre’s lifeguards are renowned for their fierce competitive streak and have won the title several times before and ranked highly every other time.

“Thanks to our award-winning lifeguards, our patrons can feel reassured knowing they are in safe hands when visiting the Fremantle Leisure Centre.”

Rounding out the top three was HBF Arena Team 1 in second place and Beatty Park Leisure Centre in first place.

For more information about Fremantle Leisure Centre, and to learn about its Junior Lifeguard Club, visit the City’s website.