King of the beach
question rather than a growled statement enticing a question.
De Morny emphasizes the essence of being a lifeguard is to prevent drownings and secure a safer water environment. The bonus, he says, is to compete and win. The real victories, he says, come in every volunteer shift.
He describes the community as special by nature of their willingness to sacrifice and give unconditionally. He also describes them as bloody competitive and determined to make a difference.
De Morny’s social media profile reads: ‘Game-changer, flag and sprint specialist, Usain Bolt’s successor, Fifa and call of duty extraordinaire, entrepreneur and co founder Evolv Concepts’
Nowhere does it tell you he has won four golds, four silver and two bronze medals from five World Championships.
Equally, nowhere does it tell you how many life rescues he has made.
LifeSaving South Africa’s rescues exceed 120 000 and the culture is to applaud the team and not make heroes out of individuals.
But when it comes to the sport of LifeSaving there must be a podium that puts the gold, silver and bronze of De Morny’s World Championship medals on display, if only to inspire the next generation of South African would be sporting world champions.
MShe’s a World Champion Beach Sprinter, consistently the fastest on sand in South Africa and always on the alert when it comes to water safety and the fallibility of people who make the wrong decisions in water.
Maritz is an inspiration and she’s another of those proud young South Africans who enhance the country’s image by extension of her personality and performance.
She’s the best in the country and among the best in the world. She took gold in the 2010 World Championships in Egypt and in 2016 won double bronze in the Beach Sprint and Flags.
She’s been dominant as a track athlete but it is on sand where her legs have powered her sustained success. There’s no South African woman faster on sand over 90 metres.
Maritz has triumphed despite the obvious funding restrictions. Traditionally there hasn’t been commercial