Published 15 June 2022
The Australian Pool Life Saving Championships have wrapped up in Sydney after an intensive three days of competition hosted at Pymble Ladies College Aquatic and Fitness Centre.
Female Lifesaver of the Meet - Jess Oates
The competition saw the three top-placed women for the meet divided by only one point. Jess Oates, 19, from Dakabin in Queensland came away with the Female Lifesaver of the Meet which was based on her performance across all the open age events, with athleticism and technical accuracy both taken into account.
Ms Oates, who trains with the Sunshine Coast Grammar Pool Lifesaving Club, said she was hopeful that her performance would be enough for selection to the Australian team for the Lifesaving World Championships in Riccione, Italy in September.“After two years of not being able to have a national competition due to the pandemic, it was really exciting to see everyone again and compete on the national stage,” Ms Oates said.
“To be surrounded by people like Mariah Jones, who is someone I have looked up to for a long time, made this meet really special. It’s always good to have really good competition, to be pushed to be better every single time.
“It is the people that make this sport, the sense of community as part of the team. That’s something I have not experienced in any other sport.”
Ms Oates trains in the pool six days a week, in addition to gym sessions. She first became involved in pool life saving at just 12 years old.
Male Lifesaver of the Meet - Jake Smith
Mr Smith, 24, from Hillarys in Western Australia put in a strong performance across all three days. Male Lifesaver of the Meet award was based on his performance across all the open age events, with athleticism and technical accuracy both taken into account.
Mr Smith, who trains with the West Lifesaving Club and the Scarborough Beach Swimming Club, said he was hopeful that his performance would be enough for selection to the Australian team for the Lifesaving World Championships in Riccione, Italy in September.
“It’s been a while since had a good outing at a national competition due to COVID, so it was good to see everyone,” Mr Smith said.
“There was really stiff competition from Jacob Loughnan, Harry Hynes and Jim Koch. I was fortunate enough to get Male Lifesaver of the Meet this time.
“It’s all really exciting. I love being part of the team to go over East and compete in Australia, and going to an international competition is a different level again.”
Mr Smith does at least seven training sessions in the pool a week, in addition to gym sessions. He was first introduced to pool life saving at just 14 years old when a coach recognised his swimming ability.
He acknowledged his coaches Andrew Ridley, Bec Hartman and Cam Hawthorn who work with Mr Smith throughout the year.
