Full circle from nipper to SA lifesaving coach for Winklespruit’s Dean Marais

WINKLESPRUIT Surf Lifesaving Club’s very own lifeguard and lifesaving coach Dean Marais (35) has had an extraordinary journey from hesitantly taking up nippers as a teen, to traveling abroad to compete at international level, and now training the national lifesaving team which travelled abroad last year.

The importance sport plays in development is well known, but Dean explains the many reasons why lifesaving should become a greater part of any society.

“I started as a nipper in Scottburgh when I was 13-years-old after friends from school told me about nippers. I was a little scared of the ocean so I thought it was a good idea to try and overcome my fear. I found nippers tough though and didn’t even qualify to make the club team for the national champs initially. This became my catalyst to train hard and I never looked back.”

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Dean started taking the sport of lifesaving seriously after watching the World Lifesaving Championships, which were held in Durban in 1996.

“I had just done my lifesaving award (LA) and watching the best in the world compete was the spark I needed to commit to training. This was two years after I started nippers,” he said.

The lifeguard has now been coaching lifesaving for some three years.

“I only started coaching because I had come back into lifesaving after a four-year break, due to a bad knee injury. At the time I had joined Winklespruit Surf Lifesaving Club which didn’t have a club coach, so the coaching happened out of necessity. It was not something I thought I would take further, as I was more interested in racing,” he said.

Dean deemed 2018 an ‘amazing year’. After being selected as the South African Lifesaving Team’s senior coach and travelling to Japan in June, he was selected to coach the South African national team at the world championships in Adelaide, Australia, whereafter he was awarded his South African senior colours.

“It was an incredible experience. As a young coach at the biggest event in our sport I had a lot of pressure on me, but it was an awesome opportunity to test my coaching abilities and to learn from some of the world’s best,” he said. “My senior team finished third out of 44 countries after a tough week of racing.”

The sportsman explained that his biggest achievement to date is competing as a 16-year-old at World Lifesaving Championships as a senior in Sydney, Australia. In lifesaving a senior is only over 19-years-old. He then competed again at World Lifesaving Championships in Melbourne six years later.

“Lifesaving for schools along the coastline should be a massive priority,” he said. “It will help keep more children ‘water smart’, but lifesaving is also an unique sport where you have to complete a qualifying lifesaving course.

Through doing so, these children are taught valuable lifesaving skills which could enable them to one day save a life, if the need arises, which is by far the greatest gift one can give. It also gives these children an internationally recognised certificate.”

Dean busies himself with all sports, spending as much time swimming and trail running as he can. He also competes in warrior races (obstacle racing) and has finished in the top 10 for the elite batch in every race. Dean has spent the last two seasons at Toti Rugby Club, on the coaching/medical staff for the Toti first team.

When asked what role sport plays in a person’s mental, physical, emotional and social development, Dean explained why every person, regardless of age or fitness level, should incorporate some level of exercise into their life.

“To me, sport is a vital part of a person’s development. Regardless of your sporting abilities, sport should be fun. Sport should be a place you go to spend valuable time developing a healthy, active lifestyle with your friends and family. As a coach, my ultimate goal is to introduce people to being active for their entire life. From the mental and physical side, sport is important to teach children to show good sportsmanship – learning how to win and just as importantly, how to lose. Sport teaches you to be accountable for your actions and to show that the more effort you are prepared to put in, the more you get out,” he explained.

Another great read: Excitement mounts for Winkle nippers’ first carnival

The lifeguard’s goals include continuing to grow as a coach.

“I also want to keep learning and to help grow the sport of lifesaving. Hopefully along the way I’ll continue to have the opportunity to represent South Africa and travel to more incredible countries,” he said. His next target is the world champs in Italy.

Dean thanked his parents for their continuous support and guidance, his girlfriend Shirene for all her encouragement and help while he chases his dream of achieving national colours. Being involved with the national team has meant many weekends away at events as well as the trips overseas, during which Shirene has been incredibly supportive.

He further extended his gratitude to coaching mentors Mick Sadler and Russel Sadler and to Winklespruit Surf Lifesaving Club, for allowing him the opportunity to coach at the club and thus assist in turning dreams into a reality.

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