Kerry Elliot, a Clarendon High School for Girls pupil and lifesaver for EL Surf Club, kicked off the 2023 lifesaving season by representing SA in the International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) in Texas, United States, from September 18-24.
This is Elliot’s debut for the SA senior team following her successful career at junior level nationally and internationally. She was the only Buffalo City lifesaver selected to represent the country this year — a feat she is grateful to have achieved.
Hosted by the US Lifesaving Association (ULSA), the competition has been running since 1999.
The ISRC encompasses the ILS open and/or youth divisions and participating countries may compete in one or both age categories.
Events for each category are conducted over three tests, which include surf swim, surfboard, surf ski and beach events.
SA competed in both divisions, with Elliot a part of the open team.
This year, Australia bolstered their public image as the hub of lifesaving, claiming first place in the women’s and men’s open while SA took the trophy for first place in the youth division.
Elliot represented SA in the women’s open surfski, board race, mixed surf relay, rescue tube and beach run relay. She earned a fourth place in the ski relay and a remarkable third place in tube rescue despite competing against athletes more experienced than her.
Overall, Elliot and her fellow Springboks were forced to work harder than other countries in the competition after one member fell ill cutting into their manpower.
Despite this, Elliot said the team adapted and were able to maximise on their strengths in the ski races and surf swim events. However, SA struggled in the Ironman event, comprising board, ski, swim, and run disciplines because athletes from other nations, who participate in the Nutri-Grain series, specifically train for this event.
Elliot said: “Teams are generally made of six to eight athletes but we took a team of five, and with someone being sick, the remaining four had to juggle the workload.
“This meant that I got to compete in events I originally wasn’t going to, and I had so much fun doing it.
“In SA, we have a big culture of ski paddling, so the ski races and the surf swim events were where we performed the best.
“I love the challenge and excitement of competing in the surf.
“I also enjoy the fact that lifesaving is one of the only sports in the world that incorporates social responsibility into the sport.”
Elliot’s father, Roger said the family was proud of Kerry’s commitment to lifesaving over the years and always knew she would exceed in the support because of her level-headed attitude.
He added: “As an eight-year-old she got knocked off her board at a nippers’ competition in Durban and the board was washed back to shore.
“She swam back to the beach, picked up her board and finished the race, stone last, but with a smile.
“We are really pleased that Kerry has managed to achieve a balance between school and sport. Although she represented SA in two sports this year, both lifesaving and canoeing, she still managed to keep her marks up and was awarded academic honours at school.
Elliot hopes to give back to the sport by coaching nippers and juniors to reach their full potential.
