MARINE Mongrels Ladies’ Surfboat crew ended their Lifesaving World Championships (LWC) experience in Australia on a positive note. After not making it through to the final rounds of the World Interclub Championship, they had the opportunity to race an invitational race for foreign surfboat crews at the World Championships. They received a gold medal for this event.
Marine Mongrels Ladies’ Surfboat, an element of the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club (MSLC), have won the South African Surfboat Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024. They remain the first-ever female surfboat crew in the country to participate in a world championship event. The team was made up of four ladies, namely, Kendra Robinson (stroke 1), Anike Jordan (stroke 2), Ciandra Sharp (bow 2) and Janeira Reddy (bow 1). Gary Brummer led the women’s crew as the ‘sweep’/instructor.
Brummer oozes with pride after the ladies’ performance in Australia. He reckoned a lot of hard work and dedication was invested by the team in preparation for the LWC. “We braved the harsh weather conditions. Our training sessions involved the erg-machine, running, weight-lifting, rowing and more. Six out of seven days a week, we were out there sweating it. Coordination, thrill, fun and team spirit played a huge role. All the hard work paid off in the end,” Brummer said excitedly.
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Brummer, a master who has been ‘sweeping’ for 34 years, hopes that the younger generation will embrace the surf sport more, especially school-leavers and matriculants.
“Youngsters often relocate or emigrate, and we encourage those who are still around to come on board and experience the world of surfing and lifesaving. We do, however, see the nippers (preteens) making their entry into the sport, and that is exciting,” said Brummer.
Brummer has been a member of MLSC for 46 years – a tough, no-nonsense coach who gets the best out of his crew while having fun. The surfboat crew are all regular voluntary members of MSLC, qualified in rescue, resuscitation, cardiac massage and first aid techniques, and they complement all the skills with sports activities.
Next on MSLC’s agenda is the national championships in Port Elizabeth, and Brummer is super confident they’ll score a couple of wins.
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