Tickets for our Aussie Night are selling fast – reserve yours today!
The team at Retford Lifesavers are organising an Aussie Night, raising funds for the team heading to Australia later in the year to compete at the World Lifesaving Championships. If you’d like to attend, please contact Jess Newton for more information!
We’re currently looking for raffle prizes – any donations would be very gratefully received. Our team kit has spaces for two sponsorship opportunities – if this is something your company might be interested in, please get in touch!
After being postponed due to snow, the 2018 Speed Lifesaving Championships were a successful competition for the Retford Lifesavers team! The action happened at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May 2018, so it was quite a distance for our athletes to travel. However it proved worthwhile, with several of our members getting personal best times, and even National Records.
A full list of the results from the weekend, alongside other news and photos from the official event photographer, can be found on the RLSS UK website here!
Meanwhile, the date and venue have been set for Speeds 2019: 16th and 17th March, back at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
The RLSS UK hosts an annual National Speed Lifesaving Championships, which brings together the best lifesaving sport athletes from around the country to compete for National Champion in a range of events. Each year, several members of Retford Lifesavers represent their club at the largest lifesaving sport event in the UK.
For 2017, the competition was held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. The events took place 25th – 26th February. Retford Lifesavers took our largest ever team, with over 20 individual competitors. It was also our most successful Speed Championships ever, bringing back 13 national medals including 5 gold, as well as a whole heap of PB swims. We even broke a national record for the 10m Line Throw and had a club member selected to join the RLSS UK’s Performance Squad. These achievements placed Retford Lifesavers 9th overall, which is a fantastic achievement. Full results can be found on the RLSS UK website >
The National Speed Lifesaving Championships in 2018 will take place on 3rd and 4th March at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow.
Follow the action on Facebook and Twitter using #RADLSpeeds, #Speeds2017 and #LifesavingSport. Link to this page: http://bit.ly/2kNleRB
This year, Retford’s largest team of lifesavers set off from the UK on the 19th November for the International Lifesaving World Championships 2018, hosted in Adelaide, Australia. The team consisted of two Masters, Theresa Tomlinson, Karen Atkin-Moore; four Open, Pete Moyes, Charlie Newton, Toby Sanderson, Georgina Tomlinson; and six Youth, Jess Newton, Ruth Moore, Ben Tomlinson, Jacob Screeton, Sam Templeton and Jordan Ferguson. They were also joined by family who provided fantastic support.
Theresa and Karen were there to greet the rest of the team, after their earlier departure, for the Masters competition, in which they won bronze medals in the 12.5m Line Throw with a time of 17.63 seconds! The team were also joined by Hannah Calverley, a former club member, who recently moved over to Australia to study a PhD in Drowning Prevention and Water Safety, a passion which stemmed from her previous membership with the Retford Lifesavers and partnerships with the RLSS UK.
The Retford team at the Lifesaving World Championships, Adelaide
The first week of the trip consisted of watching the National Teams perform, activity days and final preparation training. The team were very lucky to be able to to train at the Unley Swimming Centre in their outdoor 50m pool. They also visited Glenelg Beach, which was the hosting beach for the ocean events. Upon arrival, the area was hit with a storm, which temporarily disrupted the flow of events at the beach, but with the help from the organisers and locals, the competition was able to get back up and running, as the weather eased.
Monday brought a very nerve-wracking day for the competitors, as it was the day of the SERC (Simulated Emergency Response Competition). This years’ team, consisted of Jess Newton, as captain, alongside Ruth Moore, Ben Tomlinson and Jordan Ferguson. They used their tailored skills and training, in partnership with a lot of hard work and preparation to perform the rescue needed when faced with their given scenario. Their superb efforts placed them in first position and thirty five points ahead of the succeeding team, placing them in first place in the straight final and earning them all gold medals!
Ruth, Jordan, Jess and Ben with their Gold medals for the SERC!
Shortly after their medal ceremony, preparation of the Open SERC began and a request for casualties was sent around all the teams. Five members of the Retford team volunteered themselves and were each assigned very specific roles. The Retford Open team was made up of Theresa Tomlinson, as captain; Toby Sanderson; Hannah Calverley and Georgina Tomlinson. Regardless of their limited time to practice as a team – with Hannah being the other side of the world – they made it into the final after the initial heats, with 49 teams and placed 9th overall. A day definitely worthy of celebration!
The Tuesday brought the first day of the Youth Ocean events. The day
kicked off with a 2K Run for Ruth, Sam and Jacob; it was a tough event and on
very soft sand – conditions they are not used to training in. They all did
exceptionally well, a prime example of their grit and determination. The next
event for the Youth, was the Rescue Tube Rescue, another tough event where the
Retford boys showed immense determination and finished in a good time. They
then went on to compete in the Beach Relay where they qualified for the B
Final. Meanwhile, over at the pool, Toby, Hannah and Georgina were competing in
the obstacles and the line throw. They were also joined by Pete and Charlie in
the line throw, who broke the British National record, for their age category,
with their time of 12.94 seconds in the initial heats!
Charlie, Georgina, Hannah and Pete were the Open Line Throw teams.
The 2x1K Beach Run Relay, on the Wednesday, was ran by Jacob, Sam, Ben
and Jordan, followed by the Surf Race, completed by Jacob and Sam in the
afternoons’ very rough conditions – a magnificent achievement. Over at the
pool, Toby, Hannah and Georgina were competing in their second day of pool events,
including the 50m Manikin Carry and the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins (where
Georgina earned herself a two-second PB!). The 100m Rescue Medley followed in
the afternoon. On Thursday, the whole team went to the pool to support Toby, in
his 100m Manikin Carry with Fins and his 200m Super Lifesaver.
The Youth began their pool events, on the Friday, and they were lucky to
have the whole Open team there to support them. Ruth, Sam and Jordan started
the day off with an exceptional 200m Obstacles, followed by the Female Line
Throw for Ruth and Jess. They finished in first place during their heats with a
time of 13.26 seconds, securing them both with a place in the final and also
the new British National Record for the Female Youth 12.5m Line Throw! Their performance
was matched by Ben and Sam in the male Line Throw, who also secured themselves
a place in the final, alongside another national record for their age group
with a time of 10.81 seconds! They then went on to produce a time of 11.20
seconds, earning each of them gold medals!
The boys then finished off the successful day with and amazing 4x50m
Obstacle Relay!
National Record holders Sam and Ben with their Gold Medals!
Saturday brought the second day of pool events for the Youth, including
50m Manikin Carry for Jess, Ruth, Sam and Jordan, who each gained new PB’s in a
pool with a 3m depth. The 100m Manikin Tow with Fins followed later, for Jess,
Ruth Jacob and Ben, as well as the 100m Rescue Medley for Sam and Jordan. In
the afternoon, the boys completed the 4x25m Manikin Relay and Jess and Ruth
joined Ben and Jordan for the Mixed Pool Lifesaver Relay.
The final day of competition and Retford’s Youth events, included the
100m Manikin Carry with Fins and 200m Super Lifesaver for Jess, Ruth, Ben and
Jacob. The events concluded with the boys’ Medley Relay, where they qualified
for the B Final and secured themselves an excellent 12th place overall. Sunday
night was a night for celebration for the whole team as the competition drew to
a close, ready for departure on the Monday.
The worlds team would like to say a huge thank you for all the support
they have received both during the competition and their years of training
leading up to the competition. Pete Moyes, club chair and coach, deserves an
enormous amount of thanks for his organisation of this adventure, on top of his
constant dedication and support. Retford’s sponsors also helped to fund to
trip, alongside all the money raised from the success of the Retford
Lifesavers’ ‘Aussie Night’, in July. The courage of the competitors, as well as
their dedication and hard work, made this trip a success and they are hoping to
compete again in 2020 for the next World Championships, in Italy. The
preparation has already begun!
We spotted a koala during our trip to Adelaide Zoo!
Interested in getting involved? The Retford Lifesavers are always excited to welcome new club members so if you are interested or know someone who is, please don’t hesitate to contact Retford Lifesavers online, or pop down to Retford Leisure Centre on a Saturday morning between 9:00 and 10:30am. The club offers their Rookie Programme, for those aged between eight and twelve, which is the perfect introduction to basic lifesaving skills, as well as their Survive and Save Programme, which is ideal for those a little bit older. Or if you are a keen swimmer and would like to get involved with their competitive squad, please get in touch and they will be more than happy to introduce you!
Retford and District Lifesaving Club often run training courses and events throughout the year. The RLSS UK’s National Pool Lifeguard Qualification is an industry-standard programme that delivers both theoretical and practical training to enable candidates to work safely within the leisure industry.
Retford Lifesavers will be running a NPLQ course in January and February 2017. The course will include the use of a Spinal Board and an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). Any candidates wishing to apply for the course must complete the application form below.
The course costs £250, and will run on the following dates. Full attendance is required to complete the course. Exact timings are still to be confirmed:
Friday 27 January 2017, 18:30 – 22:00hrs
Saturday 4, 11, 18, 25 February 2017, 08:00 – 18:00hrs
Assessment: Saturday 25 February 2017
Candidates must be aged 16 or above prior to assessment, and a good level of physical fitness is required for the course. Completed application forms, as well as any enquiries or questions about the course, should be emailed to David Morton, the course leader.
The Retford and District Lifesaving Club Championships are an annual event held at Retford Leisure Centre, designed for the whole club to enter. Featuring a mix of lifesaving, lifesaving sport and fun events, the championships are suitable for all abilities, and an excellent introduction into competitions!
In order to compete, just turn up for the normal session on Saturday morning. You will be registered and everything will be fully explained for those who may be nervous! It’s a great club event – bring along friends and family to support and cheer!
The Club Championships for 2018 will be held on Saturday 14th March. Session 1 starts at 9am and Session 2 starts at 4pm. Please note that the times below are approximate, and subject to change at the discretion of the Organiser and Referee
Morning Session – Lane lines and starting blocks to be used (diving is optional)
Registration 08:45 – 09.00, Warm up 08:45 – 09:00 Officials Briefing 09:00, Competition Start: 09:15
Event 1 Rookies 50m Obstacle Swim
Event 2 Intermediates 50m Obstacle Swim
Event 3 Seniors 100m Obstacle Swim
Event 4 Rookie 8.0m Rope Throw
Event 5 Intermediate 10.0m Rope Throw
Event 6 Seniors 12.5m Rope Throw
Evening Session – No lane lines or blocks needed
Registration 16:15 – 16:30, Official’s Briefing 16:00
Pool Setup/Warm up 16:30-16:45, Competition Start 17:00
Event 7 Rookie 25×25 Swim & Bottle Tow (1/2 filled)
Event 8 Intermediate 50×50 Swim & Tow
Event 9 Seniors 50×50 Swim & Tow
Event 10 Rookies 25×25 Manikin Carry with Fins (Empty)
Event 11 Intermediates 25×25 Manikin Carry with Fins (half full)
Event 12 Seniors 50×50 Manikin Carry with Fins (full)
Isolation for Rookie and Intermediates approx. 1800 studio area.
Event 13 SERC Rookies (Water Incident)
Event 14 SERC Rookies (Life Support Incident)
Event 15 SERC Intermediates (Water Incident)
Event 16 SERC Intermediates (Life Support Incident)
Isolation for Seniors studio area approx. 1845 studio area
Event 17 SERC Seniors (Water Incident)
Event 18 SERC Seniors (Life Support Incident)
Event 19 Rookies 25X 25 Manikin tow with fins (empty)
Event 20 Intermediates 25 X 25 Manikin tow with fins(half)
Event 21 Seniors 50 x 50 Manikin tow with fins (half)
Presentation, Raffle & Buffet from 21:00 The Club Captains for the next 12 months will also be announced.
For any questions or queries, please ask a coach or instructor on poolside.
The National Lifesaving Championships are an annual event hosted by the RLSS UK. The championships test the skill and ability of lifesavers from around the country in a range of lifesaving events. Several members of Retford Lifesavers compete at this event every year, representing East Midlands region.
In 2017, the Nationals will be held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield in early September. The Lifesaving Championships are followed in the evening by the National SERC Championships.
Latest details on the RLSS UK website. Follow #RADLNationals and #NatLifesavingChamps on Twitter. Link to this page: bit.ly/1OCuGSh.
Retford competitors in the 12.5m Line Throw event at the Speed Championships
The RLSS UK hosts an annual National Speed Lifesaving Championships, which brings together the best lifesaving sport athletes from around the country to compete for National Champion in a range of events. Each year, several members of Retford Lifesavers represent their club at the largest lifesaving sport event in the UK.
Report from Speeds 2016 by Pete Moyes:
Well done to the Retford team who competed in the National Speed Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in London. This is the first time we have had a team at the event and a great experience for everyone. Some hard lesson learned by all, including myself having been DQ’d from two events missing a gold and silver medal in my age group for schoolboy errors! Must try harder and get in the water more often to do it.
Great performances- Hannah Calverley and Theresa Tomlinson a 6th in the open Line Throw- well done, a top performance among the best in the UK. Alex Moyes and Hannah Calverley also showed us all what you need to complete the open category 200m Super Lifesaver event — 32nd and 22nd respectively. Well done.
Jess Newton competing in her first major championships recorded her new PBs showing a big improvement in her time for the Manikin Carry with Fins. Georgina also showed improvements with new PBs for her events with fins.
For a small club with some first time entrants we have a great collection of medalists, our rising stars Jacob Screeton and Ben Tomlinson had a great 10m, 12-14 yr old, line throw with 11.97s taking silver, both went on to improve on their PB’s in each of the events they took part in. Well done to you both.
Our masters also showed what they are made of. New on the scene is Theresa Tomlinson 40-49 yrs category, with a 5th in the Manikin Carry, 3rd and bronze medal in the 200 Obs, and a fantastic swim in the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins gaining her first Gold!! This makes her the 40-49yrs Masters UK Champion in the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins. Well done and a great boost for the training up to the Worlds in September. Hazel Moyes and Peter Moyes managed a silver in the 50+ Line Throw and Peter Moyes bronze in the 50m Manikin Carry. At least I managed to not get DQ’d in those two, although the Line Throw was close, only just reached Hazel’s fingernails — phew!
Please also congratulate Amy Evans who is a club member and an inspiration for our young aspiring competitors. Amy was swimming with the Rascals team — well done Amy.
The Retford team after competing at Rescue 2014 in Montpellier, France
Rescue 2016 is the World Lifesaving Championships, held every two years at different locations around the world. Eindhoven, in The Netherlands, is the host city for the 2016 competition, which runs during September. A team from Retford & District Lifesaving Club are currently training and will attend and compete in the World Interclub Championships, representing Retford on an international level. This page will be kept up-to-date with the latest details, updates, news and more.
The main Retford Lifesavers team will fly to the Netherlands on 11th September and return to London on the 19th. During their stay they will take part in a number of events, both working in a group and as an individual, testing their speed, decision making and teamwork. These will take place at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium in the heart of the city. We have a few competitors also taking part in the Masters events – these are the week before and they will be flying out separately.
For all enquires and press information, please get in touch on twitter @rlss_radl, or email us. Information and photos from this website and our social media pages can be freely shared and reproduced, with attribution.
For all enquires and press information, please get in touch on twitter @rlss_radl, or email us. Information and photos from this website and our social media pages can be freely shared and reproduced, with attribution.