Successfully swum into the holidays - with an important action by the water rescue service

Created: 08/08/2022, 10:00 am

Together towards gold – (from left) Marcel supports Nancy and Ina with their swimming badges.

© Gronau

In summer, many are drawn to the water.

Whether it's an outdoor pool, a lake or the sea - if you can swim, you're safer there.

To coincide with the start of the holiday season, the water rescue service organized a “swimming badge day” and confirmed their skills to eager water rats.

Weilheim – Nancy Kaiser (15) and Ina Sättler (13) jumped and swam for a good three-quarters of an hour and proved their knowledge of the bathing rules.

They have successfully received their golden swimming badge.

When asked if it was exhausting, they still answer very coolly: "It works" - and seem to still have energy.

Swimming badges are an incentive

On the last day of school, everyone who wanted to get a badge was invited to the Weilheim indoor pool – from the seahorse to the pirate to the German swimming badge in gold.

A total of ten children and young people took advantage of the offer.

Christian Weinzierl, chairman of the Weilheim water rescue service, explains: "With the action day, we want to ensure that children and young people can assess their swimming performance and have an incentive to become even better with the swimming badge."

Swimming courses: Long waiting lists have to be worked through

In general, demand is very high, says Reiner Socher, a local trainer.

Due to Corona, they have not been able to offer swimming courses to the usual extent in recent years and now there are long waiting lists.

In order to work through the latter, however, one is dependent on volunteers and the times when the baths are available, says Socher.

This problem is countered by allowing any lifeguard to remove a swimming badge at any time.

There are also parents' evenings in kindergartens and after-school care centers to explain how children can be helped to learn to swim.

Candidates and examiners are obviously having fun

Marcel Dittrich (19) took care of Ina and Nancy's exam.

He is a water rescuer and has been a volunteer with the water rescue service for about seven years.

In addition to his training as a vehicle mechatronics technician, he also helps with youth work or is involved in operations.

You can tell from the relaxed atmosphere that candidates and examiners are having fun.

The three have known each other for a few years through the lifeguard service: "It's always fun," says Marcel.

And because there is still time and motivation, the girls take the exam for the silver swimming badge again, just for fun.

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It is also a successful start to the holidays for Jona (9) and Elisa (5).

They proudly present their well-deserved bronze and corsair badges.

Kathrin Neulinger-Warneke is also happy about her children's swimming performance: "As parents, you have a better feeling." And for the optimal start to the summer holidays, there is an ice cream for the little swimmers as a reward.

Larisa Glas