Golden effort for Redcliffe Surf Life Savers

Published 9:00am 3 March 2023

Words by Jodie Powell

Nippers from the Redcliffe Surf Life Saving Club have brought home gold and bronze from the Queensland Youth Life Saving Championships.

Coach Jessica Hunter says the achievement is particularly special because the club has not entered teams at the championships for many years.

“I think it shows that we can compete on an equal level with other surf clubs,” Jessica says.

During the championships, held at Mooloolaba, 1500 competitors from across Queensland compete in a range of surf sports events over four days.

Team effort

Agatha McGoon and Millicent Hunter won gold in the under-11/under-12 section two-person Rescue and Resuscitation event, while Lucas Anthony and Toby Seufert won gold for the same event in the under-13/under-14 section.

Ryan Fistr took home bronze in the under-12 male 1km beach run.

Jessica says the wins are a huge achievement for the club, which took 14 under-11-under-15 members to the championships.

“It’s just a really great reward for all the hard work they have put in,” she says.

“It’s not always easy to be able to do that when they have such busy lives and they’re learning a skill that will stay with them forever.

“To be able to do CPR at the age of 10 is amazing.”

Life skills

Rescue and Resuscitation focuses on the core of surf lifesaving and is a precision event that involves marching into the arena, performing CPR and then marching out again.

Judges deduct points for infractions such as teams not marching in time or not performing CPR correctly.

“It’s such a team-building event because you have to rely on the same person for the whole season,” Jessica says.

“It really creates a family of people.

“In the competition they don’t know who will be the rescuer, or who will be the patient until they pull a number out of a bag.

“And being the patient is also a main role because they have to hold their body in a certain way.”

Family affair

Jessica’s no stranger to Rescue and Resuscitation herself, with she and sister Fran having competed in the event as children and teens under the tutelage of her father, Redcliffe Surf Life Saving Club foundation member Greg Murphy.

Greg, wife Carmel, and Jessica and Fran returned to the club several years ago and coached the gold medal-winning teams – including Jessica’s daughter, Millicent.