Masters kick off LSV championship season

CHAMPIONSHIP season has begun for state lifesavers following the Victorian Masters Championships.

Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV’s) most experienced lifesavers from 23 clubs, plus visitors from Queensland and South Australia took part in the state titles earlier this month at Lorne SLSC.

The masters titles were the first of three state championship events to tie up the 2022-23 summer season, with the Victorian Senior Championships coming up at Ocean Grove SLSC this weekend (February 24-26).

LSV senior manager sport Chris Schleusener said with competitors ranging between the ages of 31 to 76.

“The masters championships allows some of our most experienced lifesavers, some of them with 40-plus years of patrolling under their belts, to display their rescue ready skills in an inclusive competitive environment,” Mr Schleusener said.

“Our masters competitors are the backbone of our clubs, from their role on the front line saving lives, their tireless work behind the scenes on club committees and supporting the next generation of lifesavers through nippers, training and development.

“We have incredible competitors such as Malcolm Freake from Fairhaven SLSC, who has nearly seven decades of competition and patrol experience, and multi-generational families like Tristan and Rebecca Read, whose children now compete and patrol at Lorne SLSC with them.”

The masters championships keeps people engaged with lifesaving long-term, offering community, social and fitness benefits.

Many of the masters competitors will back up this weekend’s efforts at the senior championships, either racing in the open division against Victoria’s top competitors, or as coaches, officials and team managers.