A junior lifeguard club helped future lifesavers hone their skills this summer at Black Bear Beach.

The aspiring lifeguards spent a week at the beach and Dundonald Pool this summer participating in a variety of activities and achieving personal goals.

“We did lifesaving skills and leadership activities,” explained club coach Marie Lemelin.

Ms. Lemelin, along with fellow coach Heather Griffin, started preparing for the week-long camp back in May. Their goal was to ensure the participants were kept busy meeting personal goals and developing their life saving skills.

The program was run through CFB Petawawa PSP Aquatics Department, with the goal of bringing out the best in each of the junior lifeguards and also help them achieve personal goals in any or all seven areas of the program’s elements: fitness, swimming skills, competition, community education, lifesaving knowledge, lifesaving skills and leadership and team work.

The eight- to 10-year-olds were required to swim a minimum of 25 metres and tread water for two minutes to participate in the club.

To develop their skills, the youth took part in swimming activities, playing co-operative games, competing in competitive games, canoeing, snorkelling, diving, shadow guarding, life saving skills, rescues and first aid training.

“We spent the week doing aquatic activities,” explained Ms. Lemelin, adding, “we spent one day at the pool, but most of the time at the beach.”

The program ran every morning between 9 a.m. and noon from Aug. 13 till Aug. 17. The club wrapped up with a pizza party on Friday, but not before hitting the beach for their last session.

Cyndi Mills is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist 

cyndi.mills@sunmedia.ca