Fancy a dip in the pool at Kimberley Leisure Centre? Well you couldn’t be in safer hands as the lifeguard team have been named top in the UK following a nationwide competition organised by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) earlier this year.
The lifeguard team have been participating in the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards IQL Lifeguard Triathlon for the last seven years. Each year they have pushed themselves further, getting increasingly higher in the competition. Last year they finished in a strong second place therefore this year there was only one place to go to the number one spot!
Kimberley Leisure Centre’s Trainer-Assessor, Stephane Chambrelan is the man behind the scenes driving the team of 27 lifeguards onto their success. The results were truly phenomenal this year with five staff in the top ten female lifeguards and two in the top men’s lifeguards. Overall the team had five in the UK’s top 10 Lifeguards.
The triathlon is a challenging event, a combination of three different elements of the Lifeguarding Qualification NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification). This included two timed swims, CPR and a timed theory test. The team from Kimberley were competing against nearly 400 other lifeguards from across the UK.
The team’s achievement is testament to all the hard work and training the lifeguards have put in. This is down to the commitment and dedication throughout the year. Key to the success and therefore continued improvements in ranking year on year is the team spirit. It is this spirit which has come to embody their training. Through the last few years the lifeguards have become more conscious of each other’s strengths and areas of weakness. They have really pulled together to get the all the team members working to an exceptionally high level.
Fresh with their award Stephane and the team are now hungry for further success. They are striving to get the top team position and number one male and female lifeguards. This is something definitely within their reach. Enhanced training methods, including the technology they’re using for their CPR is helping to improve their skills and confidence.
It’s a fantastic achievement for Kimberley Leisure Centre and we’ll keep you informed of their progress. We hope that next year they’ll be celebrating even bigger with top team and individual wins. In the meantime you can swim safe in the knowledge of all the skill and experience watching over you on the pool side.
Interested in becoming a lifeguard?
We organise training courses on becoming a lifeguard throughout the year. For further details please contact the centre on 0115 917 3366 or visit our website.
