Mt Moreland’s Saskia Hockly made a striking debut at the World Lifesaving Championships on Australia’s Gold Coast, competing in eight events and reaching the finals in all but one. Saskia, who primarily trains for marathon kayaking and surfskiing, integrated lifesaving into her regimen, and the effort paid off as she secured three top-five finishes.
“I was super nervous but even more excited as it was my first major lifesaving cap for South Africa,” she said.
In her first event, the Women’s Line Throw (pool), Saskia and partner Savannah Voigt became the first South African women in over a decade to reach the final, finishing fourth in 17.82 seconds. She then moved to the ocean events, starting with the Rescue Tube team event, where she and her teammates Voigt, Jenna Tarr, and Kendra du Toit placed fifth.
In the Oceanwomen Relay, Saskia and her team grabbed eighth place, followed by ninth in the Beach Relay. Her individual performances were headlined by a sixth-place finish in the Oceanwoman final.
Photo: Harvpix.
“The five who finished ahead of me were all professional iron women who live and train together on the Gold Coast, so that was the major highlight for me,” said Saskia, who also placed 15th in the Board Race and 9th in the Surf Ski Race.
Saskia’s final event was another team effort, this time with Tarr and two men, Christian Davison and Matthew Coetzer, in the Mixed Lifesaver Relay where they secured fifth place.
Reflecting on the competition, Saskia said she was happy with the young South African team’s performance, the oldest member being 25.
“I am incredibly proud of how we stacked up against the world’s best. We probably lacked a bit of experience as a team but we were driven and knew we were capable of doing really well. Team SA also received numerous compliments from different nations on our sportsmanship and spirit, dubbing our team the most enjoyable nation present.”
Saskia will be back on a plane soon, swapping lifesaving gear for her customary paddling equipment. She will compete in the ICF Kayak Marathon Championships in Croatia from 19-22 September, followed by the ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Spain from October 2-4.
Photo: Lifesaving South Africa.
To see her full results from the Gold Coast, visit liveheats.com/ils
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