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Junior lifeguard squads battle for Olympic glory in Rehoboth

RBP Stingrays, squads from Dewey, Delaware State Parks face southern patrols
Rehoboth Beach Patrol junior guards, known as Stingrays, took up the largest area of oceanfront real estate. They started the event with an upbeat group “RBP” chant.
Aaron R. Mushrush
August 2, 2024

Rehoboth Beach Patrol played host to several Olympic events July 29. 

Junior lifeguards from Dewey and Delaware State Parks battled RBP’s Stingrays and youth patrols from Bethany Beach, Sea Colony, Middlesex and Ocean City in RBP’s Junior Lifeguard Olympics.

While the host had the largest patrol, Dewey Beach Patrol brought a good number of junior guards and Delaware State Beach Patrol showed it has some serious athletes coming up the ranks.

Ranging in age from 5 to 16, the kids' reward for early mornings and grueling workouts all summer was an exhibition of their physical fitness, bravery and teamwork. RBP kicked things off with an “RBP” chant that cropped up again throughout the competition, while other patrols could be heard encouraging their teammates by name. 

A few hundred people – family, friends and spectators – set up shop in front of the Henlopen Hotel to watch the kids run, swim, paddle and race their way to junior lifeguard Olympic glory. With the ocean turning up waves more appropriate for surfing or skimboarding, the contestants battled the Atlantic to prove when their time is called to perform a rescue, nothing will stand in their way.

Find more information about the Rehoboth Beach Junior Lifeguard Olympics and junior lifeguard program at rehobothbeachpatrol.com/junior-lifeguard-program.

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

Learn about Delaware State Park’s junior lifeguard program at destateparks.com/BeachPatrol.

Battling the force of the waves, the young guards make their way to the line.
Taking off like Hasselhoff, the young boys begin their distance run.
Dewey Beach Patrol junior guard Meredith Frederick leads the pack in the run-swim-run event.
Olivia Hickman stays focused in front during the girls' distance run.
Beach flags under the lights wrapped up the Olympics.
The beach in front of the Henlopen Hotel was jam-packed with participants, lifeguards, family, friends and outside observers lured in by the size of the crowd.
Dewey Beach Patrol junior guards Brooke Zolper and Avery Berge take off in the run-swim-run.
The girls had to battle some choppy surf to reach the RBP barrier.
Junior guards race toward the water.
RBP guards were set up just beyond the crashing waves.
Some waves were helpful, while others were strong enough to split a board in half.
Delaware State Parks Beach Patrol’s Malec Ksebe begins to pop off the board during the paddle-swim relay.
In the spirit of the Paris Olympics, Delaware State Beach Patrol’s Malec Ksebe decided to wear the Atlantic Ocean as an outfit for a few seconds.
Competing against the older kids, Delaware State Parks Beach Patrol’s Malec Ksebe put his relay team in first during his opening leg of the relay.
Cannon Lingo ran like he was shot out of, well, a cannon.

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Aaron Mushrush joined the sports team in Summer 2023 to help cover the emerging youth athletics scene in the Cape Region. After lettering in soccer and lacrosse at Sussex Tech, he played lacrosse at Division III Eastern University in St. David's, PA. Aaron coached lacrosse at Sussex Tech in 2009 and 2011. Post-collegiately, Mush played in the Eastern Shore Summer Lacrosse League for Blue Bird Tavern and Saltwater Lacrosse. He competed in several tournaments for the Shamrocks Lacrosse Club, which blossomed into the Maryland Lacrosse League (MDLL). Aaron interned at the Coastal Point before becoming assistant director at WMDT-TV 47 ABC in 2017 and eventually assignment editor in 2018. 

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