Surf Life Saving Australia, September 16, 2014: The Australian Life Saving Team’s Head Coach Danny Short has built his team’s assault on this week’s Lifesaving World Championships, Rescue 2014 in France, on all-round flexibility and a special kind of toughness that brings out the best in the best.

LIFESAVING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, RESCUE 2014 (September, 17-21): Antigone Olympic Pool in Montpellier; Le Couchant Beach, La Grande Motte.

Northcliffe’s noted Ironman and Ironwoman champions Shannon Eckstein and Kristyl Smith are stand-outs and Short says their ability in the surf, on the beach and in the pool is second to none.

But on the eve of this year’s Championships which get underway with the Pool Lifesaving events at the Antigone Olympic Pool in Montpelier tomorrow night (Wednesday, AEST), Short has singled out Central Coast trainee school teacher Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC/The Hills Lifesaving Club) as his “quiet achiever.”

“Tim is the kind of guy who slips under the radar,” said Short as the Australian National and Youth teams gathered for an official welcome party attended by team supporters and families.

“At the last World Championships in Adelaide, Tim actually accrued the most points.

“He went about his job and delivered and since then one of his goals has been to become a mainstay in the team and to earn his spot and he has done that very, very well. Tim is a hard worker, he’s flexible and he’s modest.”

Schofield will show his all-round ability when he contests over a dozen events including the 200m Obstacle Swim, the 100m Manikin Carry With Fins, the 100m Manikin Tow With Fins, the 50m Manikin Carry as well as the relays in the pool before he lines up in the surf and on the beach alongside team captain Eckstein for the Oceanman, surf race, board race, beach relay and Oceanman Relay.

“With a team of 12, six men and six women, we have to cover 10 events in the pool and 10 events at the beach and you’ve got to have flexibility and one of our strengths are our Iron person athletes plus our all round flexibility,” says Short.

“Ski paddlers Lachlan Tame and Olympian Naomi Flood are pretty special athletes; Lachy is not only a four-time Australian single ski champion but before about six months ago we didn’t know he could run like the wind.

“He brings a lot to our beach area, in the beach sprint and the beach relay and he can also paddle a board; he was second in the National Inter-State Championships this year on the board and actually beat Shannon Eckstein and although that may have been a once-off; that demonstrates he’s a great board paddler as well.

“Naomi can do just about any event; she will run through a brick wall for you and she is doing events in the pool, basically every event on the beach and she’s in our beach relay, which is fantastic.”

Short said many of his combinations were formed in Japan at the International Surf Rescue Challenge and at the German Cup last year – which Australia won on both occasions..

“It was part of our renewal theme and it was about taking a few risks, looking at different options; we took a little bit of an experimental team [to Japan]with Lachy Tame and with Tim Schofield but we had a purpose in mind and the results spoke for themselves.

“Lachy showed us why he is such a special athlete and Tim Schofield did his job; that was our springboard (for France).

“It’s been a long journey this one, after we first came together in April-May 2013; we have moulded this team which has been selected for the last six months.

“We’ve had opportunities to become a tight knit group, and we have done that. It is the tightest Australian team I’ve been involved in, I’ve got a real good feeling about it.”

And while the Australian Life Saving Team will kick-start their campaign in the pool, the Australian Youth Life Saving Team will unearth a new generation of stars when they hit the beach for two days before finishing with two days in the pool.

It is a team built on brilliance in the pool, young athletes like Australian Youth Swimming representatives Chelsea Gillett (Maroochydore SLSC/Brisbane Life Saving) and Newport SLSC’s latest recruit from Manly, Georgia Miller – who is the reigning Australian Under 19 Ironwoman champion.

Both Gillett and Miller, who have both tasted success in the pool and the surf, will join the likes of Brad Woodward and Matthew Davis in one of the most exciting young teams ever to represent Australia.

The Youth team has one of Australia’s most respected surf and pool lifesaving coaches in Currumbin Beach Viking’s Brett Dowker, who led the Australian Life Saving Team to successes between 2004 and 2010.

“They are just as much at home in the surf as they are in the pool – it is a very exciting team and one I’m sure Australia will be proud of,” said Dowker.

“We’ve had a great build up through our camps and everyone associated with this team is very excited; we can’t wait.

“I think you will see that the future of lifesaving in Australia is in very safe and very capable hands.”

The Australian Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men - Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC) Captain, Andrew Bowden (Bronte (SLSC/ The Hills Life Saving Club) Jake Lynch (Newport SLSC) Ryan Napoleon (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club), Lachlan Tame (Avoca Beach SLSC).

Women - Miranda Bell (Northcliffe SLSC), Naomi Flood (Manly LSC), Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Melissa Howard (Kurrawa SLSC), Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Kristyl  Smith (Northcliffe SLSC).

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men - Joshua Brown (Byron Bay SLSC), Daniel Collins (Redhead SLSC), Matt Davis (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Jason Gough (Mooloolaba SLSC), Nik Green (Alexandra Headlands SLSC), Brad Woodward (Shelley Beach SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club).

Women - Prue Davies (Currumbin SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Chelsea Gillett (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay SLSC / Port Hacking Lifeguard Club), Nicole Kay (Mooloolaba SLSC), Alyssa Koenan (Northcliffe SLSC),  Georgia Miller (Newport SLSC).

Team Management and Traveling Staff: Head Coach: Danny Short (Maroochydore SLSC), Team Manager: Keith Caldwell (Bulli SLSC), Assistant Coach: Wade Sinclair (Picnic Bay SLSC), Physiotherapy: Nick Marshall (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC), Sport Science/ Assistant Manager: Elise Bateman. Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC)

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team Management: Head Coach: Brett Dowker (Currumbin SLSC), Team Manager: Garry Mensforth (Umina SLSC), Assistant Coach: Craig Holden (Elliot Heads SLSC), Physiotherapy: Troy Eady (Byron Bay SLSC), Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC).

Travelling staff members:  Kitty Chiller – SLSA GM Capacity & Capability (Female Athlete Liaison – Australian Youth Lifesaving Team), Nathan Hight – SLSA Sport Manager (CEO’s Representative, Australian Lifesaving Team and Youth Lifesaving Team.

PROGRAM DAYS – Open and Youth

Wednesday, September 17:

OPEN (Pool, Day 1)

Thursday, September 18:

OPEN (Pool, Day 2)

YOUTH (Beach, Day 1)

Friday, September 19:

OPEN (Pool, SERC)

YOUTH (Beach, Day 1)

Saturday, September 20:

OPEN (Beach, Day 1)

YOUTH (Pool, Day 1)

Sunday, September 21:

OPEN (Beach, Day 2)

YOUTH (Pool, Day 2).

Social media (hashtags/twitter/websites):

 

#rescue2014 (event)

#pridemateshippassion (Team)

@AUSlifesaving

@SLS_Online

@royallifesaving

@Ausport

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Life-Saving-Team/370689553031410YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AusLifeSavingTeam
www.rescue2014.fr (official website and location of results)
www.sls.com.au

http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team
Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacs

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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