Megan Kreft, a matric learner at Paarl Vallei High School has been included in the National Surf Lifesaving team, who will represent South Africa at the 2017 International Surf Rescue Challenge, which will be held in New Zealand from Thursday 30th November to Sunday, 3rd December 2017.
Megan is a member at Strand Surf Lifesaving club and has been involved with Lifesaving since the age of six, when she joined the club as a Micro Nipper. She has been doing voluntary duty since 2013 and worked as a pro-lifeguard for the past 2 years. She is passionate about Lifesaving and says Lifesaving is a lifestyle, it is an unique sport, where you get the chance to compete, serve your community and forge close bonds with fellow lifeguards who actually becomes like your family. Megan has represented the Western Cape Surf Lifesaving team, in six respective years. She excelled at the National Surf Lifesaving Championships held in April at Campsbay this year, where she claimed gold in the Junior Beach Sprints event, as well as gold in the Tube Rescue event and won a silver medal in the Junior Beach Relay event.
Megan also took gold in the tube rescue event, and won a silver medal in the junior beach relay event.
She competed at the Stillwater Nationals, where she received a total of six medals, and she is very excited about being included in a national team, and the opportunity which lies ahead.
The International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) 2017 takes place at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. The competition, which is held every two years, is a gathering of the world’s top lifesavers, and originally started in 1939 as the Trans-Tasman Series between Australia and New Zealand. In 1999, South Africa joined the event, and the Tri-Nations Challenge was formed. Since 2005, the event includes teams from Great Britain, USA, Canada, France and Japan.
Eight national open teams and four youth national teams will take part in 2017, including Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, USA, Canada, France, Japan and the host country, New Zealand, and compete in swim, surf board, surf ski and beach events.
Megan trains with Maties Swimming Club, under head coach Pierre De Roubaix. She does not have a coach for beach and surf lifesaving, but her brother, Josh Kreft, has taken on the role of coach, manager, mentor, motivator and most avid supporter. Megan trains in the surf with fellow lifeguard Kira Bester, who she also credits for keeping her focused on realising her dream to represent SA.
Both Megan and Kira also have their sights on competing in Lifesaving World Championships 2018 in Adelaide, Australia. Megan is on her school’s student council for 2017 (sport portfolio), plays for the first team hockey and competes in athletics and swimming. She has full school colours for academics, the biology Olympiad and swimming, half-colours for hockey and lifesaving (non-school sport).
