Masters lifesaver Tracy Gous shows nippers the way
MASTERS Lifesavers from the Nelson Mandela Bay squad were on song, bringing home a host of medals as the General Tire South Africa Lifesaving National Championships got under way at the weekend.
Summerstrand’s Tracy Gous was a star at Saturday’s Stillwater (Pool) Masters national championships at the Newton Park Swimming Pool and was again on top of her game at Kings Beach for the beach events.
Going up against some of the best women masters in the sport, Gous showed grit and determination as she bagged a total of 10 individual gold medals across both the pool and beach events.
Competing in the 40-44 age category, the Summerstrand Surf lifesaving club member brought home gold in the 200m obstacle race, 50m and 100m manikin rescue and rescue tube events.
She picked up where she left off the following day as she came out with guns blazing to take a further six individual golds to take her medal tally to 10.
She achieved golds in the beach sprints, surf swim, run/swim/run, board race, single ski and iron woman events, as well as claiming a silver in the beach flags and bronze in the 2km beach run.
“The arena is fantastic, and the overall organisation of the event is world class, so we must thank Kings Beach Surf Lifesaving Club and East Cape Lifesaving for their work in making this event possible,” Gous said.
Due to a lack of female competition, Gous said that competing against the guys in certain events was a lot of fun.
Gous, a nipper instructor at Summerstrand, will now sit back and enjoy the rest of the championships as a number of her pupils get ready to compete in the Nipper Championships.
“My idea was to go and participate in as many events as possible,” Gous said.
“My aim was to show my nippers that they have to be an all-round lifesaver who can do everything, not just specialise in one or two disciplines.”
Another Bay lifesaver, Candice Parker, wore the colours of host club Kings Beach Surf lifesaving club proudly as she claimed three golds in the beach events she competed in on Sunday. Competing in the 35-39 category, Parker’s golden treble came in the beach sprints, beach flags and 2km beach run.
“It was such a fun, enjoyable day. We were all nippers in the good old days,” Parker said.
“To still be involved and competing in the sport at this age is just amazing.
“I [did] quite a lot of training in the lead-up to the event and the competition on the day was quite tough with a number of talented lifesavers also part of the festivities.”
A full list of Masters results can be found at: http://southafrica.carnival.sls.com.au/eventmgr /results/report/public/122/0