FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Nearly 1,200 lifeguards from across the country have gathered on Fort Lauderdale Beach this week to take part in the U.S. Lifesaving Association’s National Lifeguard Championships.
The event, which unfolds Wednesday through Friday, has brought together the largest group of competitors in its history.
The four-day competition features over a dozen events, from beach sprints and team relays, to open-water swims and rescue board races.
“These are the heroes that are sitting on your beaches every day — working, protecting, watching out for people — and, as you’ve seen in the media lately, they are making heroic rescues when they got to go in,” said event organizer Tom Gill.
Organizers said that each event is specifically designed to test the speed, endurance and teamwork lifeguards rely on when lives are on the line.
“The Florida heat’s pretty bad. We’re not used to this, but it’s an honor to represent Long Beach and be here and meet a lot of people, and it’s a great time,” said Long Beach, New York lifeguard Gavin Delgrosso.
“It’s an awesome thing to do; we get to compete against all these other patrols,” said Long Beach, New York lifeguard Ryder Heitefuss.
For the lifeguards, it’s an oppurtunity to sharpen their skills, learn from each other and then take those techniques back to the communities they serve.
“That ocean doesn’t care about anything; it’s gonna give you all it’s got, so you got to be ready no matter what to perform your job, and so, this just keeps us on the grind and keeps us ready,” said Deerfield Beach lifeguard Jillian Kenny.
However, for many of the men and women who participate, the experience is more than just winning a national title.
“It’s a passion. There’s no prizes, there’s no money prizes for this. This is just from the heart, from the gut,” said Kenny. “It’s grit, it’s grind, and we love it.”
The competition will continue through Friday and is free for the public to watch.
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