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Rehoboth Beach Patrol hosts Junior Lifeguard Olympics

Future guards test skills against peers
Rehoboth Beach Patrol hosted the 2023 Junior Lifeguard Olympics Aug. 7 on the beach in front of its lifesaving station. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
Aaron R. Mushrush
August 11, 2023

A summer’s worth of lessons was put to the test Aug. 7 on the sands of Rehoboth Beach. 

Rehoboth Beach Patrol hosted the Junior Lifeguard Olympics, an annual competition that gives junior guards from as far south as Ocean City, Md., a chance to put their skills to the test against neighboring youth patrols.

Although results are not officially tallied, the competition is taken very seriously and allows junior guards to measure their progress and where they stand among their peers. The summer-long youth programs are quite an endeavor for participants ranging in age from 5 to 16, requiring them to actively participate during a time that is a break for others.

Similar to other patrols in the area, the Rehoboth junior lifeguard program runs from the middle of June to the middle of August. Meeting for an hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the program gives prospective lifeguards a chance to train like the official beach patrol. Juniors begin with stretching and move into physical activities such as running, swimming, sit-ups and push-ups. The Rehoboth patrol also works on cognitive skills, teaching the kids how to govern and guard the beach when they take a stand.

The Olympics are an annual event held at the end of summer, allowing junior lifeguards to show what they have learned during the summer, and find out what they will need to work on over winter and into next summer. 

Notable performances during the event came from Dewey Beach Patrol’s Malec Ksebe and Gus Lantz, and Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Victoria Evans. Ksebe and Lantz finished first and second, respectively, in the beach run. Evans, a rising sophomore who swims for Sussex Academy, placed first in both run/swim events she competed in.

More information about the Rehoboth Beach Junior Lifeguard Olympics and junior lifeguard program is available at rehobothbeachpatrol.com/junior-lifeguard-program.

For details about Dewey Beach’s junior lifeguarding program, go to townofdeweybeach.com/JuniorLifeguarding.

Delaware Seashore State Parks junior lifeguards listen to their instructors as they prepare for the competition.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol junior lifeguards stretch it out.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol has by far the largest contingent of junior lifeguards at the competition.
Dewey Beach Patrol junior lifeguards prepare for the evening’s events with a good stretch to the sky.
A Dewey Beach Patrol junior guard leads the pack as Rehoboth Beach Patrol junior lifeguards attempt to catch up.
Dewey Beach Patrol junior lifeguards Malec Ksebe and Gus Lantz lead the way during the beach run. They finished first and second, respectively.
Bethany Beach Patrol junior lifeguard Brayden Coleman wins a beach run event.
The youngest group of junior lifeguards, called stingrays by Rehoboth Beach Patrol, had to run past the crashing waves and reach the line of guards before returning to the finish line.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol junior lifeguard Harper Collick appears to be enjoying her time in the surf as she competes in the run-swim-run. The Lewes Elementary student’s grandfather, William Collick, was once a Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguard.
The run-swim-run requires junior lifeguards to run as fast as they can into the water and swim out to a distance marked by buoys. There may have been some elbows thrown amidst the crowd of runners.
Rescue operations require fast, fearless thinking in the moment. Events like the run-swim-run showcase how prepared guards are to respond in an emergency situation.
Rehoboth Beach in front of Virginia Avenue is packed with supportive family and friends of junior lifeguards.
Rehoboth Beach junior lifeguard Victoria Evans is a rising sophomore at Sussex Academy.
There a quite a few methods for entering the water, none of which involve remaining dry and sand-free.
The coed board relay showcases how strong and quick the junior guards are.
A quick glance makes this appear like a lineup waiting to shred some waves, but it’s the junior guards making their way in and out during the board relay.
Sea Colony Beach Patrol junior lifeguard Natalie Hahn paddles in and establishes a lead her team would not relinquish.
Sea Colony Beach Patrol junior lifeguard Kitra Edelstein helps maintain the lead her winning relay team held from start to finish.
Some of the junior lifeguards were so pumped that they ran through walls for their team. Albeit walls of water.
The crowd cheers on Rehoboth Beach Patrol junior lifeguard Victoria Evans as she takes first for a second event on the day.
The beach relays were quite the spectacle when the youngest group competed. Some waved to family, some needed a belt, and other teams appeared to have five members in the four-person event. Most importantly, a fun time was had by all.

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