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July 11, 2008
Shelley Szafraniec, APR
Community Information Specialist

BEACH PATROL MEMBERS MAKE NATIONAL TEAM,
GEAR UP FOR WORLD COMPETITION

Four members of the Volusia County Beach Patrol have made the U.S. Lifesaving Association’s (USLA) national team. They will be leaving July 17 to compete at Rescue 2008, a world lifesaving championship in Germany.

Beach Patrol staffers Kim Larson, Dustin McClarty, Cory McMeeking and Mindy Nowviskie competed against more than 600 other lifesaving athletes to earn a spot on the 12-person team (six men, six women). Also making the trip to Germany is Kevin Sweat, Volusia County Beach Services director, the national team manager, and Tom McGibeny, a Volusia County Beach Patrol member who serves as a coach.

This is the second time members of the Volusia County Beach Patrol have made the national team. (The first time was in 2006 when former part-time lifeguard Sara McClarty competed in Australia. Sara is Dustin’s older sister.) To qualify, the team members had to compete at various competitions including last year’s nationals.

The group plans to fly from Orlando to New York July 17 to meet up with the other national team members. From there, they will fly to Germany for the competition and return July 27. The USLA is funding the travel and competition expenses for the group.

The German Lifesaving Association is host of the lifesaving world championship where more than 4,000 athletes from 36 nations will compete July 20 through Aug. 2 in Berlin and Warnemunde. The world competition is held every two years. Berlin is host to more than 25 different categories of pool events, while Warnemunde is the venue for the ocean events. In Warnemunde the athletes not only compete against one another, but also the winds and waves of the Baltic Sea.

Residents can check television listings for airing of the world competition and a chance to see the Volusia County members in action.

For more information about the world competition, visit www.Rescue2008.com. For more information about the Volusia County Beach Patrol, please call (386) 239-6414.

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