The Saugeen Shores Lifesaving Club (SSLC) travelled to the Ontario Waterfront Championships at Bluffers Beach and spent three days competing on the sand and in the lake in what turned out to be a great championship for all athletes.

Junior and master athletes kicked off the championship on Sunday, August 14 with junior athletes, ages 7 to 15 years, competing in five individual events and one relay event. Junior athletes have been training hard for this championship over the past six weeks and it paid off with all six of the relay teams finishing with either a silver or a bronze. As well, most athletes had one or more top 8 or higher finishes in their individual events. Masters were not to be outdone as they all placed in the top 5 in their age group.

In beach flags, athlete Braydon Reid took a bump and was injured. The SSLC coaches would like to thank the Toronto Police Lifeguard Service (TPLS) lifeguards and the safety officer for taking such good care of him. The highlight of the weekend for coaches was seeing him come to the beach on Monday morning to wish the senior athletes good luck. Reid was joking around with the competing athletes and even with a cast he was nothing but well wishes and smiles for his fellow competitors.

Senior athletes took to the beach on Monday and Tuesday, August 15 and 16 to continue where the junior and master athletes left off. The senior athletes proved to be a force to reckon with on the beach, even with a smaller team than most other of the other competing clubs. The podium saw several SSLC individuals with top 3 finishes and top 3 finishes in several of the relays as well.

Coaches were so impressed with all the female athletes who completed in the ocean women event and rescue board relay on Tuesday. It was raining hard and the winds picked up creating fast, large waves, resulting in a very challenging course. All female athletes battled through the conditions and completed both events.

Eventually the winds caused the board rescue relay and the oceanman to be cancelled.

After three days of racing, the Junior athletes placed second overall with the Guelph Marlins winning the junior championship. The senior athletes placed fourth overall with Richmond Hill, Ottawa Beaches and TPLS coming in ahead of SSLC.

Coaches would like congratulate all junior, master and senior athletes on another amazing season and are looking forward to September and kicking off the 2016-2017 lifesaving sport season.

Senior competitors from Saugeen Shores Lifesaving Club at the Ontario Waterfront Championships. Photos submitted