Linden’s lifesaving champion
Local Doug Herbert speaks on his experience of taking part in the South African Lifesaving Championships.
The DHL South African Lifesaving Championships 2022 recently took place in Gqeberha and one of our community’s own set out into the Eastern Cape waters with hopes of coming back victorious.
Doug Herbert, who belongs to Linden Lifesaving Club, took part in the championship’s pool master and surf master programmes. He placed fifth in the surf master event, which had his alternate between a 300m run, done twice, and a 200m swim. He then achieved a bronze medal in the surf swim event where he swam a distance of 300m.
The day after in the pool programme, he competed in five events, which included a 100m manikin tow that he set a new South African record for.
Herbert said the main reason for the competition was to keep one’s self fit in preparation to rescue someone when they were in difficulty.
To prepare for such competitions, he tries to swim three times a week, aiming to do 3km per session. “I will also try to get two cycling sessions in as I have been advised not to run due to a knee operation.”
Herbert has competed in World Championships which are held every two years. In 2014, he travelled to France and in 2016 he went to the Netherlands. “This was a big eye opener as I was used to competing locally with a handful of people in your age group, to having 50 to 75 people in your age group.”
Herbert said he had joined the club after he saw his children participating in the sport. “My children where involved with lifesaving as nippers [ages 8 to 13] and enjoy being able to do more than just swim up and down the swimming pool.
” He added he took part in his first event in 1997 and 25 years later, he is still in the water.
“I have learnt how to swim better, how to paddle a ski, how to paddle a Malibu board, how to ride a boat, how to coach a team and then manage a team.”
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