By Molly Magennis
Athletes from Altona Life Saving Club and Williamstown Swimming and Lifesaving Club have returned home with pride after successfully representing Hobsons Bay at the 2022 Australian Lifesaving Championships.
The athletes were among 7,000 competitors who competed in the Championships held on the Gold Coast, which concluded on April 10.
Nicholas Frisby from Williamstown S&LC was Hobsons Bay’s only medallist, scoring the silver medal in the under 19 men’s 2 kilometre beach run.
The Altona Tomahawks, which consisted of Saxon Davidson, Jack O’Dea, Jesse Patterson and Jack Wolff were the only Victorian representatives to qualify for the open men’s beach relay final, where they placed seventh.
The Williamstown Wannabes 160 years female surf boat crew featuring Vonnie Grosso, Lizzie McFarlane, Sam Sonego, Stacy Szalay and Tim McFarlane managed to nab sixth place in the masters championships.
Life Saving Victoria’s general manager of education, sport and club development Kate Simpson said she was impressed by the efforts of all the Victorian athletes who attended, as well as the staff and coaches who supported them throughout the competition.
“As the biggest event on the lifesaving sport calendar, and comparable in size to the Commonwealth Games, it takes an incredible amount of work from our volunteers to get to The Aussies,” she said.
“To see our Hobsons Bay athletes performing so well across water, beach, lifesaving and surf boat disciplines, balancing their chosen sport with volunteering to keep Victorians safe at our beaches, is incredibly impressive.
“We can’t wait to see you back on the beach next season.”
