Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club Report A Resurgence in Junior Members
- Aleyna Martinez
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
A crew of seven athletes representing Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club have made their club and country proud according to coach, Simon Wills.
The Whakatāne crew got a taste of international sports competition at the Australian Surf Life Saving Nationals ‘The Aussies’ last month.
Wills said Surf Lifesaving in Australia is a popular sport with 314 clubs around the country, compared to 74 in New Zealand.
It’s a different playing field to New Zealand and the opportunity for New Zealand athletes to participate, offers a window into competing at an international level, he said.
“Competing in Australia is not only tough in terms of competition but there’s other things to contend with, like different surf conditions and extreme heat.
“On this trip we experienced a real weather rollercoaster which unfortunately impacted the number of events able to go ahead. We had rain, wind, six meter swells and baking hot sun.
“It was challenging, but all our competitors got out there and completed every event they could. It was great to see their hard work in training pay off and I’m super proud of them all,” Wills said.
The kids from Whakatāne ranged in age from 12 to 14. Harper Thompson came close to the podium with fourth place in the 2km Beach Run.
Sachin Marston placed 13th overall in the Under 15 Male Beach Flags and Rose Morton made it through several rounds in the Under 14 Female Beach Flags, placing 20th overall.
Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club has seen a resurgence in junior members in recent years, with training, competitive events and the Rookies Lifeguard programme offering a pathway towards becoming volunteer lifeguards.
Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club President Hamish Reid said becoming a lifeguard has far-reaching benefits.
“The more people we can encourage to complete their lifeguard award, the better. Not only does it teach our rangatahi about giving back to the community, but the path to get there is about learning to be capable in the water and understanding risks.
"This is invaluable to anyone who enjoys spending time at the beach,” he said.
