We dive into AU Lifesaving, with club chair Richard Thompson giving us the low down on what his club is all about! Last year, the club was nominated for five awards at the annual AU Ball, and received two: Most Improved Club of the Year and Club Chair of the Year.

What levels of experience do you cater to?

Lifesaving happily welcomes people of all abilities. Our current team is built up of beginners, experts and everything in between. Some of our athletes have competed for Great Britain in the past year. For the first time in the 2016/17 season we have two squads; the performance squad and the development squad. In order for potential club members to see what lifesaving is all about we run a taster session at the beginning of the year, which is open to absolutely everyone.

Why did you join this club?

The main thing that attracted me to lifesaving was the AU bazaar. The people at the lifesaving stand were very friendly and got me excited to be a part of the team. I am originally from a competitive swimming background but I found that lifesaving has what I didn’t realise swimming is lacking; teamwork. We train, compete and have fun together. Lifesaving have regular competitions against other universities, as well as sending a team to nationals and a team to the World Championships. As well as all the competing, Lifesaving has weekly socials. These can range from barbeques to nights out to team building activities; train hard, play harder.

Best or most memorable moments from your time in the club?

I have had too many fantastic moments in this club it really has made my Loughborough experience incredible. These last 12 months have been the most successful in the club’s history. A big development for the club last year was introducing over 40 new freshers to the sport. This tripled the members the club had from the year before, which was unbelievable.

A personal highlight was winning two awards at the Athletic Union Ball, Lifesaving winning ‘Most Improved Club of the Year’, along with myself winning ‘Chair of the Year’. The social scene at the club has been one of my favourite changes over the past year, the range of socials and friendships that have been built this year was amazing to see.

Describe your club in three words!

Exciting, Driven and Fun

Aside from the sport, what kind of social activities does your club get up to?

One thing as a club I am proud to say we can offer is the full ‘Loughborough Experience’! We socialise at least once every week. Our drinking socials include dressing up, playing games and having a night out either in town or at the union. The main events for our social calendars include freshers’ social, Christmas dinner, Athletic Union Ball and our own End of Season Ball and not forgetting our annual trip on Tour in Spain.

Aside from these we also have team building days, barbeques, trips to Go Ape and theme parks as well as meals out as a team.

Last words – what would you say to someone thinking of picking up the sport?

We are not to be missed at the AU bazaar. If you have any questions or just want more information we are definitely worth a visit. Still unsure? Our taster session is open to everyone and will wash away any doubts you have for joining the club.

Interested in finding out more? Find their social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

The Athletic Union has over fifty clubs, so you’re bound to find something to your taste. If AU Lifesaving isn’t quite what you were looking for, you could also try AU Swimming, AU Waterpolo or AU Sub-Aqua.

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