Surf Coast lifesavers represented at national awards

Jan Juc SLSC’s Grace Lightfoot and Lorne SLSC’s Jessica Sincock received prestigious individual awards.

Ms Lightfoot was named Lifeguard of the Year, becoming the first female to receive the award, and said she was delighted to have won.

“I really wasn’t expecting it. All the applications were absolutely incredible.”

She said that she had wanted to be a lifeguard since a young age.

“I always wanted to go into it. I was really lucky that a lot of the girls at my lifesaving club absolutely raved about lifeguarding and about lifesaving camp, and I just knew that was where I wanted to go and that was the path I wanted to follow. “

Ms Lightfoot has had a significant influence on the Surf Coast region, training and mentoring returning and trainee lifeguards.

But she has also helped others overseas, going to Sri Lanka to aid in the teaching of lifeguards, navy, coast guard and police.

Ms Sincock received the Trainer of the Year Award. She has been with Lorne SLSC since joining in 2003 as a Nipper.

She said being a trainer was a natural role for her.

“I thoroughly enjoy passing on what I’ve learnt and then making it useful for the people that come through.”

Ms Sincock has helped Lorne SLSC increase the number of training courses the club has completed and was also the trainer for the first Lorne SLSC Indigenous Partnership Program with the Gunbalanya Community School.

She said she hopes to help the club continue to grow.

“In the surf club I am currently working on increasing female participation. It sort of dies off for ladies after bronze camp, so we’re starting up a female patrol to try and get them a bit more involved.

“We’re now very focused on making it that inclusive environment, and our current president, Paul McMaster, he’s been doing an amazing job of getting all aspects of the lifesaving into one big family.”

Meritorious Awards were also given to Lorne SLSC lifesavers and Surf Coast lifeguards for the rescue of three swimmers in December 2018. Ms Sincock was also part of the crew on this rescue.

Surf Coast Royal Water Craft Service similarly received a Meritorious Award for rescuing two people trapped platform at the base of Split Point.

Fairhaven SLSC’s Nancy Joseph also received a SLSA life membership at the awards for almost three decades of service to the club.