For the third consecutive year, Shellharbour Council took home the coveted title at the annual Lifeguard Challenge, held on Thursday, 30 January at Kiama Surf Beach.

From 7pm Thursday night, teams of lifeguards from Wollongong, Kiama, Shellharbour, and Shoalhaven faced off in the highly anticipated competition. Despite the fierce waves and dwindling daylight, the lifeguards, aged between 17 and 70, demonstrated incredible resilience as they navigated a 600-meter course around a buoy and back.

Some of the competitors on the start line. Source: Veronica Bardsley

Each team consisted of six competitors, with the race structured like a relay. Race organiser Blair Day explained the different legs of the race:

“We start with nipper boards - the foam boards - and then move to longboards, which are the rescue boards lifeguards use to save people. After that, we have a swimmer, followed by two swimmers with rescue tubes - another tool we use to rescue people. The race ends with a runner,” says Day.

Shellharbour’s A team took first place, completing the course in around 19 minutes. Shellharbour’s C team secured second, while Wollongong’s C team claimed third. Day says there were a couple of upsets due to the rough conditions.

This year's event marks three consecutive years since Day revived the competition, which originally began in 2006.

“It started in 2006 but stopped in 2012. I moved away from Kiama for a while, but after returning a few years ago, I decided to bring it back in 2023,” says Day. “So, this is the third year of the revived challenge.”

The coveted trophy. Source: Veronica Bardsley

Day created the event as a way for lifeguards to come together at the end of the busy summer season to celebrate their hard work. Given the challenging summer Kiama had experienced, including three drownings, the event held even greater significance.

“The idea was to bring everyone together after a hectic summer. It was a pretty sad summer for some of the people that work in Kiama - so it felt especially important to gather everyone from different councils because we don’t get many opportunities to do that,” says Day.

Crew from Culburra. Source: Veronica Bardsley

Day also emphasised the importance of encouraging young people to become lifeguards. “It’s vital for the future of our community, and it’s an incredibly rewarding and fun job,” he says. “I’ve been doing it for 20 years now. I’ve traveled the world with it, and it’s one of the few jobs where you get paid to stay fit and train.”

He added, “Every day is different. You’ll have busy days, quiet days, but you’re always surrounded by like-minded people who are passionate about their health and fitness. That was clear at the challenge, with competitors ranging from 17 to almost 70 years old.”

A competitors getting ready to hit the water. Source: Veronica Bardsley

Looking ahead, Day hopes to expand the event in the future, with plans to include more councils and build on the fun, competitive spirit that makes the Lifeguard Challenge such a unique and meaningful tradition.