An Elmira teen is heading to Australia to compete in the Lifesaving World Championships.
The 17-year-old spoke with CTV News before she left to compete for Canada’s National Youth Lifesaving team.
“It feels great,” said Izzy Speiran. “I worked really hard for it. It’s a hard sport to get selected in. There’s only six girls who go from all across Canada, so I feel pretty lucky to be picked.”
“I’m so excited for her,” said her mother Cheryl.
Speiran is the only girl from Ontario on the starting roster for the youth team.
At the championships, athletes will perform various lifeguard tasks.
Speiran competes in the craft or surf discipline, where she simulates a rescue on open water and return to the beach.
Izzy Speiran picks up a lifesaving practice dummy at the Woolwich Memorial Centre on Aug. 16, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
“I do a lot of work with the boards and the skis. Skis are kind of similar to kayaks,” she explained.
Speiran has always been …