Two N.S. Lifeguards Selected for Goodwill Games

SPORT/RECREATION COMMISSION--Two N.S. Lifeguards Selected for Goodwill Games

Two of the nine members selected to Canada's surf lifesaving team for the coming Goodwill Games in Australia are from Nova Scotia.

Lori Borgal of Halifax and Jason Cross of Eastern Passage have both represented Canada at previous international lifesaving competitions.

Selection of the team was announced by the national Lifesaving Society.

Ms. Borgal is an employee of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service (NSLS) and works at Rainbow Haven Beach. She was part of the second-place Canadian team at the 2001 Commonwealth Lifesaving Championship in Eastbourne, England.

Mr. Cross is an NSLS alumnus and currently works with the Canadian Coast Guard. He captained Canada's national team at the 2000 World Lifesaving Championship in Sydney, Australia.

Joining Ms. Borgal and Mr. Cross will be: Shannon Bell of Vancouver; Tristan Conn of Newport Beach, New South Wales, Australia; John Eddolls of Acton, Ont.; Stephanie Hatt of Ottawa; Adam Nicholson of Guelph, Ont.; Sonia Paquette of Belle Feuille, Que.; and Dave Sage of Vancouver.

National Coaches Daniel Bérubé and Steve Box selected the team, based on results from selection trials staged in Vancouver and Halifax.

The national team's top-eight performance in the ocean events at Rescue 2000 qualified Canada for the Goodwill Games being held in Brisbane from Aug. 20 to Sept. 9. The Surf Lifesaving Competition -- one of 14 sports in the games -- runs Sept. 1 and 2 and will be televised internationally on TNT (Turner Network Television).

Canada will compete against teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, France, Great Britain and Spain.

National-team members will warm up for the games at a training camp at the Neptune Lifesaving Club in Tallebudgera, Queensland, Australia.

The Lifesaving Society is the governing body for lifesaving -- a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service is a joint project of the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission and the Nova Scotia branch of the Lifesaving Society.

More information on the games is available at www.goodwillgames.com.