SURF’S UP!

YOUNG LIFESAVERS PUT TO THE TEST AT CURRACLOE

Wexford Water Safety welcomed nipper and junior lifesavers from all over Ireland to glorious sunshine on Curracloe Beach for the National Surf Lifesaving Championships.

The young lifesavers had to succeed in provincial championships to land a spot in the National competition. All counties were represented with strong performances from Clare, Donegal, Wicklow and Wexford.

The sport of surf lifesaving tests disciplines such as beach sprinting and the use of rescue equipment including surf ski, rescue board and rescue tube and fins. It has grown in popularity in recent years and hundreds of young lifesavers travelled to Curracloe for the finals.

Wexford were regularly in the top five securing medal finishesin many events. Nicole Colfer came 2nd and Derval Hayes 3rd in the Girls 8 to 11 year sprints. The boys sprint relay team of Dan Fleming, Doran Daly O’ Toole, Liam Kenny and Thomas Rush achieved bronze.

Stars of the competition were the 12-14 year boys who won the taplin relay and took silver on the sprint relay. The team of Ross O Loughlin, Ross Wallace, Adam Cleary, Ronan Cleary and John Milne performed excellently in team events with Ross O’Loughlin also taking first place in the swim, board and fin swim in the boy’s nipper competition. Ross is certainly one to watch in the future.

In the Junior Section featuring lifesavers over 14 years, there was success for Aoife Kavanagh who took gold in the sprint and bronze in the flags and also for the sprint relay team of Anna Kavanagh, Georgina Steel, Aoife Milne and Aisling Brady.

Wexford Water Safety took great pleasure in seeing two of their own, Denise Bolger and Bill Milne taking part in an Irish team training camp on Curracloe. Denise and Bill were looking forward to flying the tri-colour in Belgium at the European Surf lifesaving Championships.

Sports officer with Wexford Water Safety Thelma Blenhein said: ‘ The National Lifesaving Championships is the pinnacle of the lifesaving calendar and it was a pleasure to host the event in Wexford this year.’

She said she was very proud of the Wexford performances and wished the Irish team every success in the European championships.

The Wexford swimmers with Thelma Blehein, facilitator. The under 14 Wexford Boys team: Cathal Byrne, Ronan Cleary, Ross Wallace, Ross O’Loughlan, John Kenny, Adam Cleary and John Milne. Lola O’Sullivan from Gorey and Ann Ryan, Wexford, at the event.

Leah McCullen from Gorey.