Durban lifesaver wins medals at World Champs
Dayna Deeble was part of South Africa’s team of 24 that competed at the bi-annual Lifesaving World Championships (LWC) on the Gold Coast in Australia recently.
IT has been a busy and successful year for Durban Surf Lifesaving Club member Dayna Deeble.
In March this year, the 18-year-old was selected for the Lifesaving South Africa’s President’s Team at the International Life Saving Federation ILS Africa Champs held at Addington Beach.
Then, in August, the Thomas More College matric learner defended her Red Bull Quicksand title by winning for a second consecutive year.
Then, last month, the talented sports star was part of South Africa’s team of 24 that competed at the bi-annual Lifesaving World Championships (LWC) on the Gold Coast in Australia.
It was a dream come true for the talented sports star who won three medals (a gold, a silver and a bronze) at the championships.
She was part of the junior team that competed against the best in the world from more than 50 countries.
Dayna won gold in the beach relay, silver in Taplin relay and bronze in the rescue tube rescue event.
“These were all team events, but I also competed in the individual events and made the top 10 of every race I took part in. Going into the LWC, we had a super strong team, and I thought we would do well, but I was also grounded because the competition was tough from all over the world. It was actually after we won the first heat of the beach relay by a big margin that I thought we could really win gold.
“Winning gold and contributing to the team was an absolutely awesome experience. It has been a dream of mine since I was 12 years old to make an SA team, and to win a gold medal was incredibly special among all the accolades at the event. I just remember standing on the podium and hearing the national anthem play when we received our gold – that just gave me goosebumps,” she said.
She also follows in the proud traditions of her family: Her brother, Jordan, is the captain of the Durban Surf Lifesaving Club; her uncle and cousins were also members of the club.
Dayna has already set her sights on her next goal: to make a senior national team for the next LWC in Morocco.
Speaking on her triumph at both the 2023 and 2024 editions of Red Bull Quicksand events, Dayna said her lifesaving training stood her in good stead.
The course covers a distance of 1.5km on sand on large sandy hills.
“My brother entered the event in 2022, and I had real fear of missing out (FOMO) because it looked like so much fun. When I entered in 2023, while it was quite tough, the vibe was amazing, and that kept me coming back. Now, my goal is to enter and hopefully win next year’s event, as well. Lifesaving training really helped me out, especially as a large part of it involved running on sand,” she said.
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