Old sport making waves in Windsor, Ont.
Lifesaving sport has been around since the turn of the 20th century.
“It's actually a recognized Olympic sport,” said Cynthia Cakebread, manager of recreation and culture for the Town of Essex.
Lifesaving sport is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, but is not in the Olympic program. The top lifeguards in Canada will be in the city this weekend for the Pool Lifesaving National Championships.
“They have events where the competitors will dive underneath obstacles underneath the water,” said Aiden Miess, project manager for Lifesaving Society of Ontario. “There's events where they're towing mannequins with a rescue tube at the surface of the water.”
“One of the harder events is the rescue medley,” added Zak Kolasa, who is a competitor for the Essex lifesaving team. “It's got a 20 metre underwater swim in the middle of the race.”
Kolasa added that having the event hosted in Windsor is a big step, and told CTV News Windsor, “It's the first time a competition of this level is coming to our area so it's really nice to see that.”
The meet begins on Saturday at the aquatic centre, bringing 175 competitors from across Canada between the ages of 15 and 75.
“It's a pretty rounded event nationally,” said Cakebread. “Some of them will be chosen to go to the international events in the coming two years.”
The team will be named at a banquet Sunday evening after the event.
“Considerations will also be made for the world team next year,” added Miess.
This weekend’s competition will serve as a tune up for the Commonwealth Championships in Windsor in September.
“Windsor won because of the way the downtown core is set up,” said Miess. “That pool is a perfect location with hotels nearby. There’s an infrastructure down there that helps us bring in volunteers locally. That pool is a state of the art facility to run international meets.”
Like the Firefighter Combat Challenge, lifesaving sport is one of only a few that started off as a life skill.
“It's not just the fastest swimmers that do well at these events,” Cakebread pointed out. “The technical participants who are fast will do the best.”
The events takes place Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to watch.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.