Winkle SLC bags medals at SA champs
Tyler Main taking silver in the U19 flags event, both against strong opposition.
WINKLESPRUIT Surf Lifesaving Club sent a small but well prepared team to the Lifesaving SA national championships in The Strand, Western Cape to compete against the best voluntary lifesaving club teams in the country.
Day one of the competition saw Gene Prato and sister Terri win a bronze medal in the junior mixed double ski event and Tyler Main taking silver in the U19 flags event, both against strong opposition.
Day two saw Gene once again in action in the U19 iron man event, where he won a silver medal. The iron man event consists of a board leg of 400m, a swim leg of 300m and then a surfski leg of 450m.
Other team members that made finals and earned valuable points for the club were: Demi Mason – U19 flags, Gareth Hazell and Gene Prato – board rescue, Demi Mason, Tyler Main, Pamela Stewart and Terri Prato – junior beach relay.
Dean van Wyk, who was new to surfski, had a great paddle in the first leg of the ski relay event and the club looks forward to seeing more of him in action.
Bianca Potgieter also proved to be a valuable part of the team and contributed well in the team events.
The senior team of Calvin Stott, James Orton and Blaine Conradie held their own in the events they competed in and were just outside the points in key beach events.
Both Bianca and Gene competed as part of the KZN lifesaving team in the interprovincial championships held on the Wednesday.
Team managers were Neville Hazell (junior men), Skye Prato (senior men) and Tanita Parker (junior women).
The next big competition for the club is the SA national nipper championships to be held in Port Elizabeth from 26 to 28 April. A small but dedicated team will be competing for medals across the various age groups in the competition. The club wishes them well.
