Kambalda students take on the Bronze challenge
Kambalda is a small mining town about 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie in WA’s Goldfields region. The town is split into two sections, Kambalda East and Kambalda West, which are four kilometres apart and hemmed in on all sides by mining tenements and the immense saltpans of Lake Lefroy.
Although the Goldfields are thousands of kilometres from the nearest ocean, and even inland waterways are quite sparse, Kambalda residents do enjoy swimming, and the local aquatic centre is a popular place for residents to spend their time over the warmer months. Recently Year 9 and 10 students from Kambalda West District High School enjoyed learning vital swimming and rescue skills by taking part in our Bronze Medallion program.
The 21 outdoor education students were first led through the online component of the course by teacher Mikayla, before most of them attended the practical sessions with Royal Life Saving WA Trainer Gayle Cruden. Gayle’s visit was made possible thanks to support from Principal Community Partner BHP, as we work together to ensure there are opportunities for these vital skills to be learnt by those in even the most remote parts of our state.
18 students attempted the practical section of the course, which was an extended Bronze Medallion running over a four-day period. The Bronze Medallion is seen as the pinnacle of lifesaving awards that can be attained in our community and has been running for over 100 years!
Six of the students successfully completed all components to achieve the Bronze Medallion award, while the rest did their very best and passed some components such as reach rescue, defensive techniques and rescue initiatives which will help them to safely participate in aquatic activities. The local teacher was extremely impressed with the course, saying the students really enjoyed taking part and that many have already asked if they can do it all over again next year.
If you'd like to take on the challenge of completing your Bronze Medallion like these students click on the link below for all the details!
