UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK LIFESAVING CLUB
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What's Lifesaving Sport?

​Lifesaving sport is the competitive element of lifesaving. No training session or competition is the ever the same!
There are two distinct areas of lifesaving sport - SERCs and Speeds. More information can be found below.

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Two of our lifesavers performing CPR on two separate unconcious casualties Warwick Comp, Feb 2024
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Our A team lined up, ready for rope throw relay: the calm before the storm! BULSCA Championships, Mar 2024

SERCs

SERC stands for Simulated Emergency Response Competition - this gives you a chance to put your first aid training into action!
You will be part of a team of four Warwick lifesavers and together, you will face an unknown 'emergency' scenario. The team (under direction of a 'captain') will be tested on how well they can work together to treat all the casualties (actors) in the best way possible with the equipment provided and within a two minute time limit. This may involve, but is not limited to:
  • performing CPR
  • using a defibrillator / AED
  • dealing with heart attacks and electric shocks
  • treating sea creature stings
  • rescuing drowning casualties
  • bandaging bleeding limbs (fake blood)
  • slinging up broken bones
  • treating various medical conditions, including asthma and diabetes
  • and much much more!
As if that wasn't enough to get your lifesaving minds working, further complexity is added to the incident by placing them in a variety of challenging settings, such as:
  • boat and building fires
  • car crashes
  • chemical lab malfunctions
...and the list goes on - the only limit is imagination!
​
SERCs give lifesavers a glimpse of what a real-life emergency scenario might look like and equip them with the ability to handle such situations outside of a competition - at a time that might actually save someone's life!

SERCs in action
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Two of our lifesavers treating casualties for shock and applying bandages in a dry SERC which featured an explosion in a chemical lab: Sheffield Comp, Nov 2019

SPEEDS

University League Speeds​ (relays)
This involves competitive swimming races with a lifesaving twist - consisting of relays in which you compete in your same team of four:
  • Swim and Tow Relay
  • Line Throw Relay
  • Manikin Relay
  • Obstacle Relay
  • Medley Relay
  • the infamous 'Pool Lifesaver' relay.
These are great fun for people of any swimming ability, and include towing your teammates, diving under obstacles, swimming with fins and carrying plastic orange people - also known as 'Bobs'.
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Two of our lifesavers performing a manikin changeover in the manikin carry relay Warwick Comp, Feb 2024

Individual Speeds Events
There are seven of these events, which range from the 50m Manikin Carry (involves diving to pick up a submerged manikin and carry it) to the Obstacle Race where lifesavers swim freestyle whilst diving underneath obstacle gates at regular intervals.

A favourite event is the 100m Manikin Tow, which involves starting with fins and a torpedo buoy, swimming freestyle 50m to a floating manikin, clipping the torp around the manikin and towing it back as fast as possible.

Don't worry if this doesn't sound like your thing - it is completely optional at both training and comps, and our club has a completely mixed swimming ability!

More details of each of the seven events can be found here. You can also watch the video provided by the World Games below to find out more!

Want to see some videos?

Club Promotion Video (2024-25) (New training times and faces)
Lifesaving Speeds Events Introduction  (The World Games)
Lifesaving Sport Introduction (Royal Lifesaving Society)

Did you know?

​The sport of lifesaving was originally introduced to encourage lifeguards to improve and maintain the essential physical and mental skills required when saving lives in an aquatic environment, covering rescue, resuscitation and first aid.
FAQs

Training Times 2024/25

Tuesday
18:30-20:30

Fitness / SERC Training at the Swimming Pool

Thursday
19:00-20:30

Speeds Training at the
Swimming Pool

Friday
​18:00-20:00

First Aid Training at the
Cryfield Sports Pavilion

Sunday
​15:30-18:00

Fitness / SERC Training at the Swimming Pool
Free Taster Sessions in weeks 1&2

Warwick SU

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Term 1 Training Schedule (Updated 01/09/2024)
Wet - Sports Hub Pool
  • Tuesday: 18:30-20:30
  • Thursday: 19:00-20:30
  • Sunday: 15:30-18:00
​Dry - Cryfield Sports Pavilion
  • Friday: 18:00-20:00
​© 2025 University of Warwick Lifesaving Club
University of Warwick Lifesaving Club, safeguarding the waters since 2002.
  • Home
  • About
    • Socials
    • Training
    • Competitions >
      • SERCs in Action
    • Courses
    • The Exec Team >
      • President
      • Secretary
      • Treasurer
      • Speeds Training Officer
      • SERC Training Officer
      • Welfare and Charities
      • Social Secretary
      • Publicity Officer
    • How do I join?
    • Records
    • Governance
    • Past Exec & Teams
  • What's Lifesaving?
  • Welcome Week 2024
  • FAQs
  • Contact