Buckinghamshire leisure centres win national lifeguarding competition

The Serco Leisure Lifeguard Competition has been running since 2009, and for the past three years has taken place at the iconic Stoke Mandeville Stadium (SMS), the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

In 2023, a team representing Birmingham leisure centres won the trophy, but this year it was all about Bucks, with the winners coming from five local leisure centres operated by More Community Leisure Trust (MLCT), while the runners up spot was taken by the host team at SMS, which is in Aylesbury.

The competition comprises a series of physical and mental challenges, which test every element of a lifeguard’s skill set. Each year, the event has a different set of tasks, but this year teams had to face a reaction test, handle a mock first-aid incident, take part in a quiz and compete in swimming pool relays.

The Buckinghamshire team comprised captain, James Anderson, plus Harry Britten-Nolan, Dylan Henney, Kyle Carpenter, William Talbot and Emily Angrisano. All five work for MLCT at the centres the trust manage in partnership with Serco Leisure.

James said:

“I’m very proud of the Buckinghamshire team. This was our debut appearance in the competition, and we were up against some very strong lifeguard squads from other areas of the country. The Bucks team did well in each of the eight tasks, but we really excelled during the swimming pool relay, which focused on swimming skills and communication.”

Richard Flavell, Head of Customer Relations at the RLSS, said:

“RLSS UK were honoured to support Serco Leisure with their annual lifeguard championships. This year we put teams through their paces with a CPR challenge. Each lifeguard had to deliver CPR for 10 minutes on a QCPR manikin. The QCPR manikin gives real-time feedback along with an overall percentage based on the efficiency of the CPR being delivered.

It’s great to see a pool operator invest in their lifeguards, allowing them to showcase their skills and knowledge in a fun but competitive environment. This just shows how much lifeguards are valued by Serco Leisure.”

www.buckinghamshireleisure.com/

MCLT operates the centres in partnership with Serco Leisure and on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council.