Spectrum Lifeguards Win Awards At National Contest

Published on: 9 Jul, 2014
Updated on: 14 Jul, 2014

Three young lifeguards from Guildford Spectrum won awards at the ninth annual CIMSPA & IQL UK Lifeguard Triathlon. A record 981 lifeguards took part in the event which finished on July 4 after a month of intense competition between teams and individuals across the UK.

The competition is based on key principles of the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), and tests lifeguards’ CPR, rescue swim and theory skills.

The Guildford Spectrum team comprised 23 contestants and was applauded for being just one of two facilities that have taken part in every previous competition.

Alice Gibbs.

Alice Gibbs, 17, won the individual female award by the closest of margins, edging out her teammate, 16-year-old Becky Doran by just a half-point. Craig Scott, 22, was the third placed male, bringing the Spectrum award tally to three.

Alice Gibbs said: “I’m very grateful for receiving recognition for a year of training and would like to thank everyone at Spectrum for their support.”

Becky Doran.

Becky Doran added: “It was great to take part in the competition and it just goes to show that all the training pays off.”

Alice, Becky and Craig all trained in-house at Guildford Spectrum, operated by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Guildford Borough Council, and work as lifeguards there. Alice has been at Spectrum since August 2013, Becky joined in December last year and Craig has been there the longest, having joined in July 2010.

Craig Scott.

Natalie Kirk, Freedom Leisure’s training manager at Guildford Spectrum, said: “I am extremely proud of all the staff that took part this year and we had some great results with Spectrum coming second overall as a centre out of 57 sites.

“All our contestants were placed within the top 50 of the 981 lifeguards that took part and I’m pleased to know that their skills have been recognised as among the best in the country.”