[LUM#4] Lifeguard for Fun
Combining fun activities with life-saving techniques—that’s the essence of water rescue. Dive in and discover this little-known sport with Jérémy Ferrara, a student at Polytech and French junior champion in a rapidly growing discipline.
Within the broader world of swimming, they form a distinct branch that thrives far from the spotlight. Jérémy Ferrara is one of them. His specialty: competitive lifesaving. An activity that, before being a sport, is a very serious profession that saves dozens of lives every year. Lifesaving is inspired by real-life situations experienced daily by lifeguards. It is a demanding discipline combining swimming, freediving, running, navigation, and, of course, towing manikins. “There are two types of events: flat-water events—that is, in a pool—and coastal events, on sand and in the sea, which are the most spectacular,” explains the 20-year-old, whose petite build contrasts with the typical swimmer’s physique. Last winter, in Castres, Jérémy Ferrara became the French champion in the 100-meter obstacle race, an event involving navigating a course strewn with floating barriers, forcing the lifeguard to dive to simulate the search for a person in distress…
Montpellier, France's capital of sports rescue
Although the sport of lifesaving originated on the Australian coast at the turn of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that the first French competitions were held. Today, although the two Oceanic giants—Australia and New Zealand—still dominate the field, France has established itself as a major force in the sport. At the last World Games—a competition featuring some thirty non-Olympic sports—France won 11 medals, including 6 gold. A historic achievement. The number of participants, meanwhile, has been growing exponentially over the past decade. A symbol of this new wave, Jérémy Ferrara has no regrets about his choice. An accomplished swimmer who has been in the pool since the age of 3, he appreciates the variety of a discipline that stands in stark contrast to the monotony of traditional swimming: “In swimming, you more or less always do the same thing in training, and surprises are rare in competition. In lifesaving, the best swimmer may very well not win because they missed a technical maneuver…”
Rescue robots
Recognized as a high-performance sport in France since 2009, lifesaving has found a home in Montpellier. The capital of Languedoc is now home to the“Pôle France”and has been entrusted with hosting the 2014 World Championships. It’s an ideal environment for the young lifeguard, who balances training with a preparatory program for engineering studies at Polytech. “I have a flexible schedule that allows me to complete my preparatory program over three years instead of two,” explains the young man, who sees himself becoming a robotics engineer. And, why not, one day contribute to the development of rescue robots that, like the Helper drone tested this summer in Biscarosse, are increasingly becoming indispensable aids in maritime rescue operations…
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