Midway’s Celia Willoughby makes U17 pool rescue performance squad
Midway young gun pool rescuer Celia Willoughby has been named in the Under-17 New Zealand Surf Life Saving pool rescue high-performance squad.
SLSNZ has named a squad including open, U19 and U17 athletes.
Willoughby, of Dawson Building Midway Surf Life Saving Club, set a new national record in the female U17 50m swim with fins and won the 50m manikin carry at the recent national pool rescue championships.
“The squad is a key part of the SLSNZ performance pathway, giving athletes the chance to develop their skills, train alongside New Zealand’s best and prepare for future international representation,” SLSNZ high performance manager Holly Fletcher said.
“We have great athletes amongst all our age group and open squads, and this is shown by the depth of their performances at the Aon New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships.
“This squad represents an exciting glimpse into the future of the Black Fins programme.”
She said the squad was an important stepping stone for many athletes who had aspirations of representing New Zealand at the highest level.
“We are building the next generation of Black Fins who will challenge for success on the international stage and continue New Zealand’s proud tradition of producing pool rescue world champions.”