Sussex Lifeguards Are National Champions!
GoFundMe has been established to help get them to the World Lifesaving Championships
The Sussex County Lifesaving Association (SCLA) won its first United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championship which was held earlier this month in South Padre Island, Texas.
This is the first time that the SCLA team from Delaware won the national championship and the first time that a team from outside of California or New Jersey has won. “We were really good over the last six years getting second or third, but this year all of the teams in Sussex County sent their best and enabled us to put the First State on the trophy,” says RBP Chief Derek Shockro, the SCLA team captain.
The SCLA team included athletes from the following Delaware patrols: Delaware State Beach Patrol, Rehoboth Beach Patrol, Dewey Beach Patrol, Sussex Shores Beach Patrol, North Bethany Beach Patrol, Bethany Beach Patrol, Sea Colony Beach Patrol, Middlesex Beach Patrol and Fenwick Island Beach Patrol.
The Delaware lifeguards earned 1465 points to place first. Los Angeles County finished in second place with 939 points, and Monmouth County, NJ came in third with 759 points.
The SCLA is now focused on preparing for the 2024 World Lifesaving Championships in Broadbeach, Australia that will take place from August 20 to September 8. They need help getting there and have started this GoFundMe for donations.
Chief Shockro likens the USLA National Lifeguard Championship to the Super Bowl equivalent of competitive lifeguard surf racing. The SCLA had 79 lifeguards swim, paddle, row and run in individual and relay events this year. Events like surf rescue, board rescue and landline simulate real-life rescue techniques used in lifeguarding every day throughout the world, he points out.
This was Chief Shockro’s 20th national championship and this will be his 4th world championship. He was first in masters, coached and managed the athletes!
“I am just happy to be coaching and managing the team from Delaware which includes Sophia Gulotti (RBP) and Konner Knarr (RBP). They are also on the USA National Team which will represent the USA against select athletes from around the world,” he said.
Chief Shockro’s daughter, Lainey Shockro, a Deauville guard for Delaware State Beach Patrol (DSBP), Ashlynn Roselle (NBBP) and Rachel Kline (SSBP) will compete in the inter-club companionships.
“We have amazing lifeguards in Delaware. They also happen to be amazing athletes that like to surf race,” he adds.
Here’s Lainey Shockro on the women’s beach flags in the preliminary rounds.
Women’s Landline National Champs: Dionn Stevenson (Lifeguard of the Year this year), Maddie Tonn (Lifeguard of the Year last year), Meredith Lockwood, and Liz Perry.
Here’s a complete list of SCLA winners.
That’s Coleman Woodward (DSBP) with the green-tip board.
Photos courtesy SCLA
