2022 Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Federations (ARISF), the International World Games Association
(IWGA), the Association of Summer Olympic International
Federations (ASOIF) and many others. He met with Jacques Rogge
(IOC President) and Kelly Fairweather (IOC Sports Director), Gilbert
Felli (former Sports Director and current Olympic Games Co-
ordinator), Ron Froehlich (IWGA President and member of the
program committee), Phill Coles (IOC Member) and several others.
The International Olympic Committee informed the ILS that it
meets all the current standards. This allowed the IOC Executive
Board to propose the IOC General Assembly in August 2004 before
the Olympic Games in Athens to grant ILS the status of a
Recognized Federation. The ILS congratulates the people who
contributed to this achievement and encourages the lifesaving
organizations in every member-country that have not yet been
recognized by their National Olympic Committee to take action
towards that end as soon as possible (ILS, 2004).

In 14-16/1/2011, the ILSE Commissions met in Agia Napa, Cyprus.
56 representatives from different federations discussed about the
potential inclusion of ILS as an IMGA member, as a prerequisite so
that lifesaving sport can be later included in the European Masters
Games 2011 in Lignano (Italy). Antonello Cano (Italian Coach) and
Dr. Detlev Mohr (ILSE Secretary General) discussed the need to
reduce the program of championships for national teams and
inter-clubs to make them easier to conduct and more attractive for
the spectators and the athletes. Under the leadership of the Sports
Commission Chairman Bob Dekkers, it was agreed that the current
championships are too long, the workload is too high for athletes,
volunteers and officials, the costs are too high for the hosts and
the participants, lifesaving needs to be presented as a multi-sport
event to be able to be sold to the media and the spectators and
finally to include a SERC discipline whenever possible. In the end,
the Sports Commission developed a new program for the
European Championships with 3 individual and 2 team events for
the pool as well as for the beach, plus the SERC (ILSE, 2011).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

In November 2011, an ILS Sport Strategic Planning session was
held. In the recent years, multiple attempts have been made
towards the Olympic inclusion of lifesaving sport. It was approved
by the Sport Commission and the Board of Directors and by the
General Assembly in 2012. Among others, the following decisions
were made: Events should not primarily involve lifesaving actions
but rather lifesaving skills. Lifesaving sport should be athlete
focused. The ILS events should focus on specialist champions
rather than on overall champions. The number of events in pool
and ocean disciplines should remain the same. Lifesaving sport
should become an Olympic sport. The needs in financial and
human resources were examined as well as the possibility of the
inclusion of lifesaving in other international games. The Ocean
(Wo)Man discipline seemed to be ideal with modifications. By
2020, the ILS should incorporate at least 75 countries that will
promote the sport aspiring to achieve inclusion in the 2028
Olympic Games. Given that the SERC disciplines did not fully
correspond to the Olympic Games motto “citius-altius-fortius”,
there should be modifications in their structure so that the judges’
scoring is not that influential (Hendricks, 2013).

In 21/11/2013, the ILSE holds a Discussion Forum titled “Future of
lifesaving sport in Europe" in Warendorf, Germany. Fifty athletes,
team representatives, referees, organizers, directors and members
of the ILS Board from 10 ILSE Member Federations met to discuss
the future of lifesaving sport in Europe. The seminar ended in
controversial and fruitful discussions. The focal point of all
discussions was the need for a common goal for all ILS and ILSE
Member Federations regarding the way lifesaving sport should be
promoted in the following decade so as to ensure a better media
coverage and more attractiveness for spectators. These factors will
support the attempts towards the Olympic inclusion of the sport.
Dr. Harald Vervaecke (ILS Secretary General) reminded the
participants of the need to be professional in organization and
participation at all lifesaving events to reach the aforementioned
goal (ILSE, 2013).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

In 16-19/1/2014, the ILSE organized the annual meeting of ILSE
Education, Rescue, Sport Management and Administration
Commissions in Stratford upon Avon, England. 65 Commission
Members and participants from 17 ILSE Member Associations were
present. The Sport Commission, among others, stressed the fact
that there is a need to focus their priorities on achieving well run
Regional and World Championships with a view to becoming an
Olympic Sport (ILSE, 2014).

The academic year 2016, the School of Physical Education and
Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens decides to include lifesaving sport in Higher Education. It is
probably the only university that offers lifesaving as an elective
course while 2 more universities around the world offer it as a
specialty. What contributed successively to this was the proposal
made by Dr. Stathis Avramidis to Dr. Helen Soultanaki (Associate
Professor in Swimming), her positive recommendation to the
Aquatics Division and Dr. Chryssoula Chairopoulou (Aquatics
Division’s Director), and the approval from the Division and the
Dean, Professor Nikos Geladas. Since then, the SPESS-UoA, offers
various experiences to hundreds of students (academic teaching,
Pan-Hellenic Championships and Cups, organization/ participation
in Greek and British Lifesaving Universiades, carrying out of studies,
practical training in clubs). Dr. Stathis Avramidis teaches the
module. This is important mainly because the sport exists in Higher
Education, in the homeland of the Olympic Games (pictures 28-29).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 28: The SPESS-UoA organizes University Lifesaving Competitions in Greece.
Stathis Avramidis Archives.

Picture 29: The SPESS-UoA takes part in university lifesaving championships abroad.
Stathis Avramidis Archives.

In 6/3/2018, Graham Ford (ILS President), Harald Vervaecke (ILS
Secretary General) and John Martin (ILS Event Director) visited the
IOC in Lausanne. They met Kit McConnell (IOC Sports Director),
Jenny Mann (IOC Head of Sport Partnerships and Co-οrdination)
and Mike Joyce (IOC Sports Co-ordination Manager). They had a
fruitful discussion on the approach the ILS should adopt in order to
submit a bid for inclusion of lifesaving sport in the Summer
Olympic Games programme. Next, they visited the Sports
Department to speak with some of the staff with whom they will
collaborate in this exciting journey (ILS, 2018; picture 30).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 30: Left to Right: John Martin, Graham Ford and Harald Vervaecke during their
visit to IOC. ILS Archives.

In 4/5/2019, the ILS and the Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) were
represented by Graham Ford AM (President) in the annual General
Assembly of the Australian Olympic Committee. The meeting was
addressed by John Coates AC (AOC President) and Thomas Bach
(International Olympic Committee President). Coates highlighted
Australia’s track record alongside Greece as being the only nations
having competed in every Olympic Games and the need for AOC
to remain autonomous to reach its goals. Bach stressed the need
to fight for the rights of sports and athletes. The ILS and the SLSA
look forward to further the dialogue with Olympic Movement
influencers in the coming week SportAccord meeting at the Gold
Coast, Australia. Emphasis should be put on the need for greater
participation of athletes in decision making and bringing attention
to the elements that make lifesaving sport the unique
humanitarian sport supported by an IOC Recognized International
Sports Federation (ILS, 2019b).

In 17/9/2019, the Olympic Channel announces that it has reached
agreement with the ILS to broadcast lifesaving sport games.
Lifesaving sport is one of the 6 new sports that have been added
to the channel following negotiations held during the SportAccord
meeting at the Gold Coast earlier this year “The Olympic Channel

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

provides a platform for the promotion of all sports and athletes of
the Olympic Movement. We look forward to working together to
help expand these sports and athletes to viewers/fans around the
world,” said Mark Parkman, General Manager of the IOC global
Olympic Channel (ILS, 2019a).

In 4/2/2020, the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association is established
in Greece. Its founding principles are infused with the Olympic
spirit (fair play, exercise and learning for all, lifelong exercise,
kindness, race is the medium and not the goal, every citizen a sport
lifesaver and every sport lifesaver a rescuer, truce, volunteering, no
exaggeration, differentiated learning, apprenticeship as
transformation not simply training). The objective of GLSA is to link
public health and sports to prevent aquatic injuries (Avramidis
2020d, Court of First Instance of Athens 489499/4-2-2020). Since
the first year of its establishment, GLSA has carried out a series of
events that indicate its identification with the principles and the
ideals of Olympism. Specifically, it organized educational programs
to teach lifesaving sport in areas where there is no pool or sea
employing alternative innovative teaching methods (Dimakopoulos
2020b). it has offered people with disabilities the chance to
participate in the Greek Lifesaving Cup 2020 (Avramidis 2020d,
Lifeguarding School of Macedonia 2020). These examples prove
that sports meet no limits regardless of age, sex and ability and
that lifesaving sport corresponds with the Olympic ideals and the
Olympic Movement.

In 30/9/2020, the ILS Secretary General, Dr. Harald Vervaecke, was
asked about the Olympic inclusion of lifesaving sport. He is aware
of and has put great efforts for several years, more than anybody
else, in order to achieve this objective. He said: "Making dreams is
nice but we need to be realists. Olympic aspirations are nice but
they cost and require vast planning." (Avramidis, 2020a; p. 12;
picture 31).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 31: Dr. Harald Vervaecke, ILS Secretary General, is a world leading authority,
who is working towards the establishment and empowerment of lifesaving sport on a
higher level and who has undertaken huge administrative work for the Olympic
inclusion of the sport. Harald Vervaecke Archives.

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

The concept of Olympism

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

The concept of Olympism

The Olympic Games were born in ancient Greece. They were held
every 4 years during the sacred "truce". At that time, the Greeks
gathered in ancient Olympia to compete getting as a prize an olive
wreath, also known as kotinos. The Games were full of rituals that
inspired the artists (sculptors, poets, musicians) to be creative so as
to praise the achievements of the Olympic winners. The winners
returned to their homeland and they were honored as heroes. The
city walls were torn down to honor them. They believed that their
city did not need walls to be secure since there were Olympic
winners among them (picture 32).

Picture 32: Awarding prizes to the winners in Olympia. London, UK. James I Barry
1741-1806.

In contemporary history, the first substantial effort to revive the
Olympic Games was a series of sport events named Olympia which
took place in Athens. They took their name by the national
benefactor Evangelos Zappas who sponsored them. For this
reason, they were also known as Zappas Olympics. They were held
in 1859, 1870, 1875, 1888, 1889 (picture 33, Mastora, 2012a).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 33: The national benefactor Evangelos Zappas (on the left) and the first IOC
President Demetrios Vikelas (on the right). The photos are available publicly with no
copyright.

The Olympic Games would be a remote memory of the Classical
Antiquity without the pivotal vision of the French Baron Pierre de
Coubertin (picture 34). Having been an athlete himself and
influenced by the importance of physical education at schools, he
made great efforts to develop sports. He believed that the Greek
civilization and the Olympic Games have the potential to help
humanity. He believed in the power of sports as a means of
shaping good characters. What mattered to him was participation
and not victory. Like all pioneers, his ideas were criticized by his
contemporaries but he did not give up. The modern Olympic
Games were born and they were held in 1896 in Athens, the land
that gave birth to them. The International Olympic Committee
(IOC), with the Greek scholar Demetrios Vikelas as its first President
and Baron Pierre de Coubertin as its Secretary General organized
the first modern Olympic Games, the greatest sports event by that
time and the concept of Olympism revived through them (Mastora,
2012a, 2012b).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 34: The founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre of Coubertin.
Library of Congress Archives.

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Olympism is the idea of the revival of the sports ideal the way it
was realized in the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. It is an
educational idea which integrates the light and the principles that
contribute to the development and refinement of the human
being. It does not address a single group of people, but concerns
everybody regardless of their social status, origin, race, colour,
religion and country and it adapts to each individual’s
circumstances. Individual ideas and beliefs can incorporate the
principles of the Olympic philosophy and be adapted. Even partial
adaption to the principles of the Olympic philosophy can have
positive results (Szymiczek, 1978).
Olympism is not physical exercise or a sports activity but a way of
life. It is a set of principles about the well-functioning of the
spiritual and psychosomatic virtues of a person, for the
harmonious development and balance of personality, will and
ethos, combining the educational process with the universal
parameters of athletics, art and cultural activities. These principles
fall under 4 general categories (table 1; Georgiadis, 2000).

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Individual Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

SocialPrinciples Sub principles
• harmonious development of body and spirit
Cultural • self-respect
• participation
Universal • voluntary effort
• self-discipline
• self-confidence
• persistence
• effort to do the best you can
• seeking excellence
• wellbeing, health
• self-realization
• friendship
• equality
• respect towards others
• understanding
• solidarity
• brotherhood
• sportsmanship
• equal chances
• companionship
• ethics
• mutual respect
• respect of cultural values
• intercultural relationships and exchanges among
people, countries, continents
• equal participation regardless of race, religion, sex,
culture or socio-economic status
• coexistence of nations
• respect for the environment
• patriotism
• universality
• altruism
• peace
• democracy in sports

Table 1: The principles of Olympism (Georgiadis 2000).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

The philosophy of sports has been eternally open to everyone
regardless of their age, skills and social stratification. The Olympic
Movement is the everlasting school of the Olympic philosophy,
chivalry and the idealization of man. Towards that end, the
principles of Olympism are taught until they become a life
experience that will accompany the individuals to the end of their
lives and that will be automatically transferred to all fields of social
being through sports. After all, the basic principle of effort, fair play
and distinction is internal in sports (Szymiczek, 1978; picture 35).
The Olympic Movement is open to everyone. Its goal is not merely
sports excellence, that is to allow only a few to collect gold medals.
On the contrary, it promotes and pursues sports for all people
irrespective of their age and sex (Szymiczek, 1980). The
Constitution of UNESCO is infused by the same spirit. Exercising is
everybody’s right and sports should be available free of charge
(Bach, 2019). The pursuits and values of Olympism are various.
They cover peoples’ needs on an educational, social, aesthetic,
ethical and mental level. The values of Olympism are not
exclusively fulfilled in the Olympic Games, although some of these
values are better expressed through this medium (Szymiczek,
1980).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Picture 35: The painting "Sports Allegory" was created by Pierre de Coubertin’s father
(1822-1908). Modern athletes are depicted as heroes receiving honors from the
citizens and the Olympian gods of ancient Greece. Olympic Museum, Lausanne
Archives.

Participating in the Olympic Movement has many things to teach.
Among them, the value of effort, the will for distinction and victory,
honesty, kindness, chivalry, altruism, self-discipline, neutrality,
stamina and the voluntary pursuit of a goal are included. The
participants learn how to lead a healthy and pure life, to support

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ethical principles, to avoid fanaticism, to accept and acknowledge
their opponent’s victory. Individuals are taught to relish the
experience of sportsmanship and evolve. In this manner, they form
a good, stable character and become beneficial to society. In other
words, they embody the model of “beautiful and virtuous” (kalos
kagathos) as defined by ancient Greeks (Szymiczek, 1978).

Olympism is defined as an educational-pedagogical pathway to
the transmission of ethical values and virtues. The route towards
“beauty and virtuousness” is experiential. It is the practice of theory
and not the theory of practice. In the essence of the duality of
theory and practice, man lies as a human being, an individual, a
member of the society and the global community (Georgiadis,
2005). The origins of Olympism refer to the human being as a
balanced whole, an inseparable state of psychic, mental and
physical exaltation and reveal the energy of the soul towards
felicity. Olympism exists as a pedagogical process that bears a
crucial role in a person’s education regardless of national, racial
and religious discrimination. At the same time, Olympism attempts
to strengthen spiritual life by teaching universal values in harmony
with contemporary ideology (Nisiotis, 1980).

Olympism persists in time. It does not last only for the 15 days the
Games are being conducted. Nevertheless, many people falsely
identify the Olympic idea with the Olympic Games exclusively. The
more this misunderstanding prevails, the more the Games are
portrayed as an end in themselves and they get deprived of their
deeper meaning, that is to remind people of human values much
higher than barren competition in the sports grounds (Lenk, 1994).
It is essential that we imitate the ancient Olympic Games that
honored aesthetics, the human value of the Olympic idea and the
essence of the Olympic Individual despite the fact that nowadays
the Games have turned into weak stakeholders of the media that
propagandize the Games’ momentum (Lenk, 1994). Only a way of
thinking that focuses on truth and unites meditation with reality
and spirit with material existence can fully comprehend the nature
of Olympism as a sports philosophy (Nissiotis, 1985).

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Olympism combines idealism with realism to the greatest extent. If
there is idealism in the Olympic philosophy, that is due to the
realistic base of the athletic practice (exercise, performance). If
there is realism, that is due to the deeper reasoning for this
practice and the reference is made to the ideals and the principles
(theoretical conclusions, deeper interpretation of physical exercise).
The Olympic philosophy does not idealize sports. On the contrary,
sports lead to the ideals and the principles of everyday human
conduct. As a result, the Olympic philosophy as “realistic idealism”
and reality are interdependent and for this reason it is important to
everyone, in all spaces and times. On the other hand,”idealistic
realism”, teaches ethics in all fields of human existence through the
principles of the most dynamic practices of human beings
(Nissiotis, 1985).

Olympism is the heart and mind of the practice of sports, the flesh
and blood of sport competition. Olympism is a practice of theory
and a thought of action. If we wish to go deeper into this truth, we
have to gain insight into the origins of sports in the ancient
Olympic Games since the classical Greek philosophy embodies the
identity of thinking and acting according to principles and ethics.
This is what motivated Pierre de Coubertin to revive the games as
“Olympic” and not as an abstract world championship. Sports and
philosophy have always been present in Greece before and after
the Olympic Games. But in ancient Olympia, the fundamental truth
about sports as a means of effective education reached its higher
and more convincing form (Nissiotis, 1985; picture 36).

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Picture 36: Members of the international committee that organized the summer
Olympic Games in 1896. Czech Academy of Sciences Archives.

The association among Olympism, beauty, kindness and truth is
timeless. In ancient Greece, Plato identified these concepts as
superior essences every individual should fight for. Nowadays,
Nissiotis notices that the higher Olympic values identify with the
timeless spirit of Beauty, of Greatness and of Truth (Lenk, 1994).
These three concepts are not synonyms of a predetermined or
fixed action but a unification of transcendent qualities (Nissiotis,
1985). They are not a way of thinking that has been realized. They
are not offered to humanity as a readymade gift. The expression
‘’of Beauty, of Greatness and of Truth’’ should not be confused with
definitive and specified human virtues. It emphasizes something
higher that urges individuals to seek mental growth in an eternal
effort to achieve perfection. Moreover, “Beauty, Greatness and
Truth” infuse our lives with spiritual content and strength so as to
achieve competitive excellence in an authentic and balanced way
(Nissiotis, 1979).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Olympism attempts to refer to “Beauty, Greatness and Truth”
through physical superiority. It’s a paradox that the opponent’s
wish to prevail in the game is used as a means of unity towards a
harmonious relationship among people irrespective of any racial,
national or cultural hostility. This is the point where the greatness
and truth of life lies; thus, natural acts of violence and egocentrism
turn out differently and have a totally unexpected result in the
individual thanks to the spirit, the will and the reason. The power
and the zeal of rivalry can be instrumental in improving the
relationship among us when we come to realize that physical and
material strength are not an end in themselves. Everything serves
a higher purpose, that is, identifying man with the concept of
Being that constitutes its roots and origins. When something like
that happens in a game of excellence, the one who arises as the
winner is the foremost exponent of the unity of the community
and mutual respect (Nissiotis, 1979).

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The contribution of lifesaving
sport to Olympism

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

The contribution of lifesaving
sport to Olympism

Lifesaving sport is based on the ideals of humanity and the
recognition of human value as a whole and a multifaceted entity.
The ideal of the "good and benevolent" man entails the pursuit of
physical perfection ("good") and spiritual-moral maturity
("benevolent"). The harmonious co-existence and cultivation of all
the human strengths is an indispensable prerequisite for human
completion ("healthy mind in a healthy body").

The humanitarian pedestal of lifesaving sport has beneficial
consequences for both society and individuals. If we take the
dialectical relationship between society and individuals into
account, we will realize that the ideals of athleticism embody the
balance between matter and spirit. Lifesaving sport brings about
multifaceted integration, in the following ways:

1. It responds to the need of man to express his vitality by giving
way to their energy reserves. Lifesaving sport mainly, but not
exclusively, helps young people to test, harness and cultivate their
physical strength. It thus offers the possibility of a gentle release of
one's energy. It is also a healthy getaway in your leisure time.

2. It offers opportunities for spiritual development. It requires the
activation of spiritual strengths, volitional and mental abilities.
During training and while competing, lifesaving athletes set in
motion skills of intellect, judgment, acuity, initiative, self-control,
self-regulation, volitional development, consistency while fighting
procrastination at the same time.

3. Sport lifesavers perceive training as an exercise for pleasure and
being in a carefree state. They experience sports as a game.
According to medicine, the biological composition (structure,
function) of the human body proves it to be more like a game, to
which man is called to respond, coordinating their movements and

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creating a movement system for a clear purpose. In other words, all
games and sports correspond to the biological structure of our
body.

4. It brings recognition. Within human nature lies competitiveness,
seeking improvement, distinction, superiority and honor, all at the
same time. Our attempt as humans to surpass the others by giving
in our competitive instincts is perfectly captured in the following
Homeric quote: "Always to excel, to surpass others, to honor the
paternal race to which you belong". Recognition, and therefore
moral satisfaction, is the cornerstone of one's self-confidence. The
admiration of fellow human beings (athletes, opponents,
spectators, parents, judges) strengthens the belief in self-worth.

5. It creates confidence and development of a support network.
The posts focus on success stories, giving a sense of bravery to the
winning sport lifesavers. Athletic success is perceived in the minds
of sport lifesavers as a means to ensure acceptance by their peers,
family and social circle for as long as they compete. At the same
time, it offers them a support network that will act as a safety
mechanism in cases where they may experience a crisis in their
adult phase. All these individuals gain confidence in their abilities,
demonstrate positive attitude and self-acceptance. They take risks
without fear of failure (Drummond, 1995).

6. It constitutes a means of moral education. It helps young people
to realize the responsibility of their all-round development towards
themselves. In order to tame one's body and make the most of
one's physical strength, one needs to put physical and mental
effort, demonstrate self-control and self-discipline. These virtues
lead to the conquest of inner freedom. At the same time, discipline,
obedience to the rules of the sport, respect for institutions, self-
respect and respect of fellow athletes are virtues that ensure
complete moral conscience, dignity and responsibility.

7. It develops a spirit of cooperation. It promotes camaraderie,
cultivates teamwork, team spirit, mutual respect, synergy between

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team members of athletes and coaches in daily sports
communication. In the daily training process, cooperation exercises
are provided for the smooth running of the sport.

8. It cultivates fair competition and prevents rivalry. Rivalry and
competition are based on a common starting point, use legitimate
means and have noble goals. Unfair and passionate rivalry is based
on selfish motives and brings unhealthy results to society as a
whole. Fair play is a positive idea. It incorporates the values of
friendship, dignity, respect for others, good behavior and equal
opportunities.

9. The moment of victory is not an opportunity for sterile triumph.
Sport lifesavers must "fight" within themselves against pride, self-
sufficiency, the feeling of cheap superiority, chauvinism and a thirst
for material benefits. It is a turning point that forces evil to
manifest itself in a direct and clear manner. At that moment, sport
lifesavers are threatened by the opposing forces of the "good and
benevolent" concept. It is the moment when lifesaving sport in its
deepest, most fundamental, and philosophical form emphasizes
the importance of sports for the protection of human life, while
allowing athletes to turn their standardized, repetitive, long and
arduous training into enjoyment and recreation.

10. Victory and defeat are motivations for the continuous
improvement of sport lifesavers and their performance. Success
must not lead to arrogance, egotism or complacency. It evokes a
sense of satisfaction, but it must also be a springboard for new
endeavors and struggles to attain higher goals. Though defeat, no
matter how much frustration it causes, must not morally
overwhelm individuals nor lead to resignation. Instead, it should
bring about power to exercise self-criticism, rebuild mental and
physical strength, and redefine one's abilities.

11. The opponent grants value to the match. Sport lifesavers do
not see one another as opponents. They coexist with their
opponents, because without them there would be no game or

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confrontation. That is why these athletes always accept victory with
humility. They never belittle their opponents. On the contrary, they
value the good play of an opponent and ostracize any victory
achieved by illegal means. They congratulate participants who fight
for victory, regardless of the physical strength that enables them to
dominate others. The winner is crowned, only as a representative
of those who fought. They are the first among equals and
constitute a proof of whether they are real winners for themselves,
against themselves, exceeding the limits of their physical strength
and excelling in virtue.

12. Only those who did not compete have lost. Through lifesaving
sport, athletes learn that the ultimate goal of the race is not to win,
but to build motivation for training and discipline in the rules of
the sport. Sport lifesavers, whether they win or lose, compete to
win but in the end they will amicably leave alongside their
opponents and the loser will congratulate the winner after the end
of the championships. The sport offers several purely moral
benefits, such as the joy of participation, the knowledge and
various experiences gained along the way.

13. The sport also provides knowledge of prevention, rescue and
how to take care of injuries inside and outside the water to
competitors and spectators alike. It is the only sport that in
addition to all the known benefits offered by sports (such as
fitness, rivalry, toughness, physique and body), has a unique and
important benefit. It teaches the competitors (directly) and the
spectators (indirectly) various ways to protect themselves from
injuries and offers preparedness for dealing with emergencies on
land and water.

14. It enlivens the spiritual and moral values that act as a
counterweight to the excessive development of material culture.
Lifesaving sport is based on the ideal of sportmanship, Olympism
and Humanity. It promotes the humanitarian ideal as well as the
symmetrical development of material and spiritual culture. It
motivates sport lifesavers to seek the beauty and quality of life, not

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in consumerism but in solidarity, social sensitivity, volunteering and
natural environment protection.

15. It strongly resists the materialistic bliss of our time. The
supreme and unique prizes for the athletes and teams competing
are the excellence and honor (as once the only prize was the wild
olive wreath), not the funding or money-crazed behavior that
dominate most facets of modern life. In this way, the importance of
moral and not material values is highlighted while the
humanitarian and moral-enhancing role of the sport is secured.

16. It cultivates the spirit of healthy competition, just confrontation
and fair play at an international level. The confrontation is based
on the common starting point of humanity and world culture with
selfless motives. Lifesaving sport competitions diminish the spirit of
destructive cross-national rivalry that characterizes our times.
Particularly in a multicultural society, lifesaving sport promotes
harmonious coexistence all around the globe and through
humanitarian education it prevents, fights and tackles racism and
all forms of discrimination.

17. It mitigates differences among the citizens of a people. As in
ancient Greece, where the warring city-states ceased war, made a
truce and competed in the Olympic Games, so today can different
lifesaving agencies co-exist on the days of the championships. In
this way, lifesaving sport unites even professional opponents.

18. It enhances the accountability and moralization of the peoples.
By respecting and following the rules of the institution, it helps its
athletes cultivate a sense of responsibility and respect for other
nations. It thus consolidates the dignity of nations, solidarity,
mutual respect, support and reciprocal assistance between peoples
and nations. It promotes universal togetherness and sense of
community beyond all forms of racial, cultural or ethnic
discrimination. It sets the foundations of universal fellowship,
friendship, cooperation and solidarity of peoples. It can become a
sound humanitarian pedestal and lead to universal progress,

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promoting the idea of universal civilization, Internationalism.
Contemporary lifesaving sport can become the best ambassador of
peace between peoples. It is the universal gathering of free
peoples, equal to one another, who put their egos aside in the
name of Peace.

19. It promotes the equality of peoples. Weak and rich states alike
participate equally in the championships. Wealth and power,
language and even race and religion fail to raise barriers between
peoples in lifesaving sport. Freedom, responsibility, dignity and
equality in participation, reinforce the universal ideal of democracy.

20. It emphasizes the ideals of Olympism. It forges people of good
and benevolent character, but also harmony between soul and
body and togetherness between peoples, while also demonstrating
the spirit of altruism and chivalry passed on by the Olympic Games,
through the rescue skills developed by the athletes during training.
It creates conditions that will allow current and future generations
to live in a more moral society. It constitutes a means of moral
education, developing a spirit of cooperation, camaraderie,
teamwork, volunteerism and social contribution.

21. It offers spirituality to the ethics of the Olympic Games.
Without spirituality the Olympic movement is a sports catechism
without substance. The Olympic man is not defined on the basis of
what they are now, but on what they are called to become, that is,
a Supreme Moral Being. The "good and benevolent" ideal is a
process and an end that must be achieved gradually. It
encompasses our endeavors to face the future. All the
anthropological principles of Olympism are centered around the
"good and benevolent" ideal. The Olympics must lead precisely to
this deeper connection. Lifesaving sport openly calls for the pursuit
of physical achievements of individuals, but also for attempting to
reach spiritual and moral completion.

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Challenges of lifesaving sport towards
Olympic integration

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Challenges of lifesaving sport
towards Olympic integration

The vision to include lifesaving sport at the Olympics stumbles
upon a number of severe obstacles that need to be addressed for
two reasons. The first reason is to ensure objectivity. Every point of
view must be heard in every activity. Secondly, because solving
problems presupposes the acceptance of their existence and
increases the percentage of achieving a goal.

The challenges of the Olympic perspective of lifesaving sport have
two dimensions. The first dimension is the issue of values. In other
words, is it right and beneficial to achieve Olympic inclusion? The
second dimension is the issue of function. That is whether the
Olympic inclusion is possible. What are the problems preventing its
integration? Like any sport, lifesaving sport has its problems. In
order for them to be solved, those in charge should accept that
these problems exist in the first place. This chapter will discuss
both problems in detail.

THE ISSUE OF VALUES
The first challenge of values pertains to the sport's range. The sport
is extremely diverse because it hosts 37 disciplines held on land,
pool and sea (ILS, 2020c). There are many age groups in each
championship. The races can be individual or relays and
encompass a variety of expensive pieces of equipment
(speedboats, boats, ocean boats, life boards, manikins, life jackets,
flippers, etc.).

The second challenge of values has to do with the selection of the
discipline that will be included in the Olympic Games. The slogan
of the Olympic Games is "Faster, Higher, Stronger" (Citius - Altius -
Fortius). The Olympic Games of ancient times were based on skills
and abilities that were of utmost importance on the battlefield. In
contrast, the modern Olympics are based on competition.
Therefore, it seems, at least on a surface level, that the

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humanitarian sports are on the margins of the Olympic ideal. So
the ideal would be to achieve "the golden mean". That is, to
choose disciplines that will have the element of competition, while
also maintaining a humanitarian element. Some countries focus on
pool events, others on sea and land events and some on all three.
Based on this reasoning, the "SERC" discipline does not fully meet
the standard of "Citius - Altius - Fortius". Consequently, the result's
degree of influence by the judges should be minimized, such as in
Artistic Swimming and Diving (Hendriks, 2013) for example, if it is
to be included in the Games' programme. At the moment, ILS is
promoting the "Oceanman" event to the IOC. This discipline
includes surf ski, swimming, surf board and running. Selecting this
discipline automatically entails that countries which develop pool
events will be excluded. Also, participating in this discipline entails
enormous costs. For example an athlete needs to spend a total of
over AUD $ 5,400 (AUD $ 2,000 + for a surf board, AUD $ 3,000 +
for a surf ski and AUD $ 400 + for a paddle).

The third challenge of values concerns the range of participation.
The effort to integrate lifesaving sport in the Olympic Games
presupposes the sport's development in 75 countries (Hendriks,
2013). The ILS, as a global federation, has 143 member-
organizations in 119 countries (ILS, 2020d). However, less than half
of these member-organizations develop the sport. This is proven
internationally by the World Lifesaving Championships which host
about 1/3 of its member-countries (Palacios, 2017) while some of
them provide only 2-3 athletes (Palacios, 2017; Bistarakis, 2019).
The same thing also occurs in the European Championships, where
less than 1/3 of the ILS member-countries participate, while in
other sports the participation reaches 100% and the athletes of
each country are more (Palacios, 2017). At a national level, it is
evident from the dual nature of the ILS (originally humanitarian,
also sporting nowadays) and its statute, that allow humanitarian
organizations to block sports organizations so that it is not
possible to multiply the countries that develop a sport. To the best
of our knowledge, this has been the case in at least one country. In
that case, the ILS Full Member, for over 20 years, according to its

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statute and according to the sports law of the country is not
legitimate to have sporting activity, since its superior authority is
not the Ministry of Sports. As a result, it is partly justified and
understandable that it has done nothing to develop the sport.
Unfortunately, over time it has systematically blocked the entry and
the sport participation of 5 organizations active in applied
lifeguarding and lifesaving sport. Even worse, 2 of these
organizations are more relevant than the Full Member to hold
championships since they have the Ministry of Sports as their
supreme authority.

The fourth challenge of values concerns the availability of
resources. Some lifesaving disciplines cost enough to be
purchased, maintained, stored and transported to the training site.
Do we really want to promote a sport that will only appeal to the
few? Of course one may argue that the same happens in other
sports (sailing, rowing, decathlon, etc.).

The fifth challenge of values concerns the discounting of the
sports' humanitarian destination. The Olympic perspective of the
sport depends on the outcome of the conflict of interest between
applied lifeguarding and lifesaving sport. In recent years, the
emphasis has been on speed in every way. This means that speed
racing uses rescue techniques that do not look exactly like those
used in lifesaving of real-life. In contrast to the humanitarian side
of rescue where success is judged by the rescue of the victim, on
the sporting side, the success is judged by speed in every way (e.g.
better turn on the wall, hydrodynamic swimsuit, etc.). This means
that in order for the sport to be included in the Olympic Games, it
will have to sacrifice a part of its authentic humanitarian character
in order to harmonize with "Citius, Altius, Fortius". Many sporting
and lifesaving rescue techniques differ because the former seeks to
achieve faster time with every legal (regulatory) way while for the
latter the salvation of a human being is at its core (Stallman &
Hindmarch, 2017; images 37-38).

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Image 37: The manikin - victim is partially under water and the athlete swims freestyle
with 1 hand. Penelope Fatourou Archives.

Image 38: No eye contact with the victim, the rescue tube is ready to slip out of the
manikin, and the rescue is carried out without physical contact with a rescue aid.
Stathis Avramidis Archives.

FUNCTIONAL CHALLENGES
The first functional challenge is the completeness of the Olympic
program. So far only one day is available at the swimming pool
unless another sport is removed. Also, in terms of disciplines held
at sea and on land, some cities are able to host them and others
are not. Of course, one may say that the same happens at the
World Lifesaving Championships without this meaning that there is
no way to host them (e.g. the facilities of the sea and land
competitions are in different cities).
The second functional challenge is the possibility of holding
qualifying championships. The emergence of the top athletes who
will represent each country staffing the national team, require the
holding of local qualifiers. The competition program is already
packed. Some countries partake in local championships so as to

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determine the winners for the national championship participation.
They will then compete in the World Lifesaving Championships. To
these are added for at least a few athletes the sporting events of
the World Games, World Masters Games, University
Championships, World Military Championships and the Regional
Championships (e.g. European, Asian, etc.). This adds intense
administrative, temporal and organizational weight to athletes,
teams and federations.

The third functional challenge is the transportation of the
equipment. The equipment of certain lifesaving sport disciplines is
difficult to transport from the country of origin to the country
where the championships are held (rescue board, surf ski). In fact,
they can only be transported by large transport companies. This
means that the participation of athletes is followed by huge costs
and time-consuming procedures.

The fourth functional challenge is the large number of disciplines
that will alter the distribution of medals at the Olympic Games. The
number of disciplines financially and organizationally affects said
games. Expenditures are increased. Medal awards take a long time
to be held. The number of disciplines is a deterrent to the sport's
inclusion in the Olympic Games, because it will surpass in value the
importance of medals of other traditional sports (swimming,
sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, judo, etc.). Lifesaving sport
includes 37 individual and relay events for men and women (ILS,
2020c). If the sport becomes Olympic, the over 100 medals of
lifesaving sport would change the balance of the countries' overall
ranking. Thus, a sport of a minority of countries will determine the
final ranking of the countries in the medal harvest of the Olympic
Games (Palacios, 2017).

The fifth functional challenge is the shrinking trend of the Olympic
Games. In recent years, the IOC has felt it can become a "victim" of
its own success. Nowadays, financial resources are less and the
countries hosting the Games face financial problems. So the IOC
set up a committee to evaluate the viability of the Games. The

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Games of the past were in every way less complicated than the
recent ones (financial, administrative, volunteers, officials, etc.). The
committee decided that the event should be reduced in size
instead of enlarged (Crumpacker, 2002). In order for a new sport to
join, another must be removed. What sport will be "sacrificed" to
"give life" to lifesaving sport?

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Discussion

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Discussion

There is a wonderful movie, "Patch Adams" (Shadyac, 1998), which
is based on a true story. In it, a psychiatric inmate, Arthur
Mendelson (Harold Gould), stretches out his palm and asks
newcomer Patch Adams (Robin Williams): "How many fingers do
you see?" Answer: "Four!" Mendelson gets angry and screams
deliriously. He asks the same question over and over to other
inmates. And he always gets the same answer. In a psychiatric
institution, his behavior makes him perfectly compatible with his
surroundings and he undoubtedly looks insane. But in a special
moment of the movie, it seemed that he was a special person.
Adams is anxious. He fights his own internal "battles". He
approaches Arthur and asks him: "What is the correct answer to
this question?" Arthur encourages Adams to answer again by
offering a little help. He stretches his palm one more time and asks
him: "Do not look at the problem. Look beyond the problem to
find the solution!" Focusing beyond the problem, as if it were a
cinematic lens, the 4 fingers blurred and doubled. Adams replied in
surprise: "Eight". "Eight is a good answer. See what no one else
sees. See what no one else chooses to see out of phobia,
conformity or laziness. See a new world every day", Mendelson
said with a smile.

As scientists and educators, we owe it to society to be optimistic.
We should see solutions where everyone else sees problems. We
should locate the "8" where everyone sees "4". In this book, two
different views were developed. The first advocates that lifesaving
sport is useful and worth joining the Olympics. That it is the
ultimate expression of the Olympic ideal because it serves the
mankind more than any other sport. The second argues that this is
either difficult or wrong. Like all sports, lifesaving sport has its
problems. To be resolved, those in charge first need to accept their
existence. Factors that negatively affect the development of
lifesaving sport are the number of disciplines, the required space
and facilities, material resources, regulations, the number of

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athletes, financial cost and the contradicting values that govern it
in the mind of everyone involved (Palacios, 2017).

The rapid spread of modern technology at every level, helps to
solve problems to achieve the goal. Lack of knowledge as a cause
of non-development of the sport by certain national organizations
can be fixed, with distance learning education and short seminars
from the most experienced ILS member-organizations.

The lack of financial resources for the purchase of equipment with
a view to develop the sport can be addressed in various ways. First,
at national level it is possible and should be encouraged to
cultivate competitions that require either no equipment at all (e.g.
4x50m Swimming and 50m Tow Relay) or the equipment requires
low cost to purchase or build impromptu (e.g. 100m, 200m and
4x50m Obstacle Swimming, 4x12.5m, 4x10m and 12.5m Rope
Throw). The example of the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association
can offer "food for thought". In a mainland area of Greece, called
Farsala, where there was neither access to water (swimming pool,
sea) nor equipment, the teacher came up with an original way to
teach rope throwing games with improvised boards
(Dimakopoulos, 2020a). Secondly, at an international level, the
International Federations reap financial benefits from the IOC's
presence in their games. ARISF members receive a small annual
funding from IOC Television Rights. For the past 15 years, ILS
regions have been receiving such revenue. When lifesaving sport is
included in the Junior Olympics and the Olympic Games, IOC
funding for the international development of the sport will be
increased. As a result, ILS's ability to finance the equipment market
will be greater (Beerman, S., personal communication 12/15/2020).
Finally, as the activity increases at a national and international level,
it is possible to find local or national sponsors to cover the costs.

The cost of going to and participating in the Olympic Games can
be reduced in a number of ways. First, it can be tackled by
reducing the transportation costs of personal equipment. It is
therefore important to choose disciplines that will offer spectacle,

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will have a humanitarian character and will cost little. Such could
be those requiring minimal equipment that can be available from
the organizers (manikins, rescue tubes) without burdening the
athlete, federation or country. Second, with the sport's recognition,
each national federation will be entitled to governing funding.
Third, taking part in the Games may be financially supported by
sponsors.

The increase in the number of competing athletes is an important
argument for Olympic membership that can be attained through
competitive and administrative modifications. The more the
merrier. The first administrative arrangement must focus on
achieving diversity between the athletes and the winning nations. If
ILS's goal still is to become world champions in just a few
economically affluent countries, the sport will be moving in the
wrong direction. As long as the events, judges, sponsors and
champions come only from the close environment of economically
developed countries, the sport will shrink (Beerman, S., personal
communication 15/12/2020). The second administrative
arrangement should focus on achieving a more comprehensive
and diverse lifesaving sport program that will include the
participation of people with disabilities in national and even the
Paralympic Games (Beerman, S., personal communication
15/12/2020). Since 2020, the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association
included people with disabilities in its Greek Lifesaving Cups,
probably for the first time in the world in an official event, with
great success, causing enthusiasm and respect among all
participants (Greek Lifesaving Sports Association 2020a, 2020b;
Macedonian Lifeguard School, 2020).

The small number of countries that develop the sport can be
increased by administrative modification. As mentioned earlier, ILS
Bye-Laws restrict the participation of organizations in lifesaving
sport. According to Article 2, paragraph 2.2.1, only the Full Member
of each country can participate in the ILS competitions (European,
Asian, Pan-American, World Championships). In addition, if the
Associate or Corresponding Member wishes to participate, this can

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only be achieved with the Full Member's consent (ILS, 2016). This
means that the Full Member possesses 3 important rights. First, it
can develop the sport nationally and participate in international
competitions (correct). Secondly, it has the right to keep lifesaving
sport inactive at a national level and to not take care of the
country's representation during international competitions (wrong).
Third, it can block in multiple ways and without sanctions fellow
national organizations that seek to be active (wrong). For example,
it may deny supporting the membership application of another
organization of the same country, and preventing a national team
from being set up or having been sent by other organizations. In
other words, the last two rights deriving from the ILS Regulations
allow national organizations to undermine its international effort to
develop lifesaving sport. Therefore, an amendment to the statutes,
that would differentiate the humanitarian from the sports
organizations and allow them to operate autonomously without
being able to block each other, will automatically give the
opportunity to the purely national sports organizations to multiply.
Thus, the countries that develop lifesaving sport will automatically
increase significantly.

The comparison of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics
of all the lifesaving sport disciplines can contribute to the selection
of the discipline(s), with the most advantages for the Olympic
Games. If for the purchase of a mobile phone or car, there is a list
that allows the comparison of each model, utilizing the same way
will lead to the best choice. Table 2 is indicative, but does not
include all the possible parameters that could be counted for the
selection of the most suitable discipline.

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Discipline:

• Equipment purchase cost (US $)
• Equipment storage costs (US $)
• Training equipment transportation cost (US $)
• Equipment transportation costs in games (US $)
• Equipment durability (years)
• Number of countries that develop it
• Number of countries that will develop it
• Ability to watch a race by spectators (%)
• Spectator access rate (%)
• Percentage of humanitarian value (%)
• Response rate to citius-altius-fortius (%)
• Degree of finding sponsors at national level (%)
• Degree of finding sponsors internationally (%)
• Required duration of 1 race (minutes)
• Number of winners' medals (men and women)
• Weather impact on carrying out competitions (Yes, No)
• Number of athletes in each team
• Required number of team support members

Table 2: Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of lifesaving sport disciplines for
comparison and selection that demonstrates the most advantages, so it can be
included in the Olympic Games.

Finally, it is important to highlight the moral dimension of
lifesaving sport as a comparative advantage of superiority over the
more widespread sports. Lifesaving sport echoes the spirit of the
ancient and modern Olympic Games, because it achieves the
idealization of sportsmanship in a way that other sports have not.
Olympic education (as a form of sports education that every
athlete should have), is an essential component of the Olympic
Games. Its necessity stems from the fact that while until recently
the prevailing view was that if one were initiated and involved in
sports from an early age, one would form a positive attitude
towards physical education, this belief was later demolished. The
hypothesis proved to be correct only in terms of shaping attitudes
towards physical exercise and not in terms of sports ethics (Giosos,

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2000). Sports alone are not capable of contributing to the moral
development of young people and cultivate honesty and an
athletic spirit (Ogilvie & Tutko, 1971; Shields & Bredemeier, 1995).
On the contrary, participation and involvement in sports can
encourage egocentric and aggressive mentalities such as spectator
hooliganism and unsportsmanlike behavior of high-level athletes
on the field (Mastora, 2012a). This was eloquently reflected in the
title of the survey "Sports: If you want to build character, try
something else" (Ogilvie & Tutko, 1971). Lifesaving sport is that
"something else"! It is strongly inspired by the golden rules of fair
play for fair games (Mastora, 2004; Mastora & Avramidis, 2017).
Thus, while in the late 1980s there was concern from the Olympic
Movement for tackling unsportsmanlike phenomena in well-known
sports, and the need for the gradual establishment of national
committees to promote fair play and Olympic education programs
so that the new generations could enter a new era of life (Doxas,
1976; Mastora, 2012b), in lifesaving sport there was no similar
need, because it has inherent ethics that are proven in practice in
every sports event. We should not forget, after all, that lifesaving
sport is the only ARISF sport that has received official recognition
from both the IOC and the WHO (Beerman, S., personal
communication 15/12/2020).

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Conclusions

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Conclusion

This book moved in 4 axes. It utilized historical evidence, which
confirm the more than a century course of the sporting character
of lifesaving in the world. It then referred to Olympism and its
importance to mankind. It then cited a series of arguments, which
underline the belief that lifesaving sport should be included in the
Olympic Games. Finally, it listed a number of challenges that need
to be addressed in order for Olympic inclusion to be possible. The
authors conclude that the effort should have the following actions:
1. Actions to be taken by the ILS.
2. Actions to be taken by the ILS Sports Commission.
3. Actions to be taken by national ILS organization members.

The ILS will increase the chances of lifesaving sport to become an
Olympic sport if it takes important initiatives:
1. To clarify the difference between lifesaving sport and

professional lifesaving. If it is not possible to change the name,
make it clear that the sport is not directly related to the
lifeguard profession to avoid confusion and challenges of
values.
2. To amend its statutes in a way that meets and serves the
purposes of its dual nature (humanitarian, sport). Sport
organizations wishing to develop the sport should not be
blocked by humanitarian organizations. If a national
organization does not develop the sport for a number of
years, it must lose its right to rule the sport and those who
wish to engage in it, because this harms the national interests
and the international spread of the sport.
3. To reduce the number of disciplines. This will reduce the cost
of carrying out the championships and the training for them. It
is important to choose disciplines that offer: (a) flexibility in
teaching, (b) low cost in developing and conducting
championships at a national and international level, (c) high
spectacle and (d) interdisciplinary nature, so that competitors

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of various sports and skills can participate (e.g. running,
swimming, rowing, rescue and first aid).
4. To standardize the equipment so as not to cause frequent
replacement and adjustment problems.
5. To maintain regulations, which do not require systematic
modification and are subject to minimal influence from the
subjective interpretation of the judges, so that they are easily
understood, applicable, objective and fair. The use of video, as
in other sports, may be used in at least large events to record
and detect rule violations in a simple, fitting and fair way.
6. To consolidate and pass on to everyone involved (national
federations, IOC, ministries of sports, etc.) the idea that the
sport will proceed without the need to connect itself with
applied lifeguarding. In most disciplines, lifesaving emphasizes
on the achievement of distinction (medal, qualification, etc.) in
order to accomplish less time in covering a distance. Because
the emphasis is on winning and less on learning the right
techniques, there is a view that lifesaving sport will be
deprived of its humanitarian value and vital identity that would
make it stand out from other sports. But the most important
benefit is that rescue will be the most important means of
global visibility. To date, the conversion of a trained lifeguard
to an athlete is sought. That is, one first learns the techniques
of a humanitarian rescue and then acquires speed. It is
important to clarify, however, that one does not negate the
other. Athletes who are fast and stand out in racing can then
be further introduced to humanitarian rescue techniques. In
this way, the intended humanitarian result, which is the
transmission of rescue knowledge to as many people as
possible, will be achieved again. In any case, it is not possible
for underage sport lifesavers to be certified as lifeguards.
7. To draw up a declaration on the benefits, aims and objectives
that can be achieved by a possible inclusion of the sport in the
Olympic Games and to distribute it either directly or through
its national member organizations to those directly or
indirectly involved (e.g. national Olympians Associations, the
World Olympians Association, the Associations of Physical

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Opportunities and Challenges of Lifesaving as Olympic Sport

Education and Sports Graduates, the Ministries of Education
and Sports, and the Schools of Physical Education and Sports)
in order to create a favorable lobby.
8. To encourage the elaboration of academic works (researches,
scientific papers, books, etc.) that will be presented at the
World Conference on Drowning Prevention in order to awaken
the communities of scientists, athletes and the general public
with the prospect of integration.
9. To develop relations with the staff that proposes the proposals
to the IOC Executive Committee and the IOC executives.
10. To be familiar with what needs to be aligned with current IOC
priorities. To seek the involvement of IOC staff in the
formulation of a lifesaving sport program.
11. To seek the inclusion of some or even one lifesaving sport
event in the Youth Olympics. This will happen with the support
of FINA and the International Surfing Association, even if the
competitions are held on the beach or at sea, since FINA
controls the available swimming pool time for all Olympic and
Commonwealth Games.
12. To authorize the ILS Sports Commission to coordinate all the
above actions towards higher (IOC), lower (organizations -
members) and similar (World Health Organization, United
Nations, World Games, International World Masters
Association, ARISF etc.) organizations. The committee should
be strengthened with people with diverse backgrounds to
contribute experiences, knowledge and public relations in an
interdisciplinary and global way to the common cause (e.g.
sports scientists, historians and philosophers of Olympism,
lifesaving sport coaches, university teachers of lifesaving sport,
top athletes, representatives of important organizations, etc.).

The ILS Sports Commission may do the following to contribute to
the Olympic perspective of lifesaving sport by imitating the way
Cubertin and his colleagues used to establish the Olympic Games
(Binder, 1994):
1. To formulate a series of ideals that highlights the Olympic

values of lifesaving sport.

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2. To promote the development of the natural and moral values
that forms the basis of lifesaving sport.

4. To emphasize that the training of (competitive or recreational)
athletes is done in the spirit of better understanding each other
and in the spirit of friendship, contributing to the creation of a
better world, which will be properly trained to provide
assistance in an emergency.

5. To disseminate compatibility and relevance between Olympism
and lifesaving sport, creating a fertile climate for international
cooperation.

6. To inform and communicate on behalf of the ILS the messages
in all directions (horizontally and vertically).

National organizations can do the following to contribute to the
Olympic perspective of lifesaving sport:
1. Development of academies for athletes and sports clubs

through sports schools as an autonomous sport or part of the
swimming lesson.
2. Cooperate with national federations of related sports in order
to include selected lifesaving sport disciplines in their training
on a limited scale (eg 1 hour / month) and direct relevance (e.g.
the Swimming Federation will develop obstacle swimming,
manikin carry and tow and manikin relays; the Rowing and
Kayaking Federations will develop individual and relay events
that include the Oceanman; the Athletics Federation will
cultivate running events).
3. Promoting and advertising it in the media, in primary and
sports schools, and not only in the big championships, will help
to spread it in places that are not developed today.
4. Integration of lifesaving sport as an elective module or
specialization in the Higher Education of the Schools of Sports
Science and Physical Education.
5. Conducting Lifesaving Sport Instructors courses by the Ministry
of Sport, utilizing the possibilities of the national legislation.
The cooperation of the national federations with the Ministry of
Sports of each country for the certification of those who will
teach the sport, will contribute to the creation of the required

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pyramid for the dissemination of the sport at the national level
and its distinction from the applied lifeguarding.
6. Integration of selected lifesaving sport disciplines in primary
and secondary school education as a course or action such as
the dry SERC and educational programs like "Charlie the savior"
(Avramidis 2020b, 2020c) and "A Chance For Children"
(Avramidis 2015, etc.).
7. Elaboration of activities for acquaintance with the sport in
youth organizations (learning gatherings, municipal authorities,
camps, sports clubs).
8. Promoting the establishment of lifesaving sport clubs by
lifeguard schools as a way of spreading the sport, mitigating
differences due to their professional interests and better
operational readiness of their lifeguards for their job duties.
9. Utilization of leisure sports for the dissemination of the sport at
national level.

Despite the skepticism due to the challenges of the initiative, the
sport shows significant advantages that presuppose its place in the
program of the Olympic Games. More precisely, lifesaving sport:
1. offers operational preparation to the members of the armed

and security forces. The content of the 1900 Paris Games proves
that the founders and organizers of the Modern Olympic Games
had realized this early.
2. is the only humanitarian sport in the world and perhaps that is
why ILS is also the only international federation recognized by
WHO and ARISF.
3. is an excellent pedagogical tool because as a recreational sport
it helps competitors and spectators to acquire knowledge of
aquatic injury prevention, rescue and treatment.
4. has several disciplines that correspond with the motto "citius,
altius, fortius" that governs the Olympic Games.
5. combines seemingly different values and ministries (health,
national defense, education, sports, culture).
6. offers a spectacle for humanitarian purposes.

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7. the discipline that will eventually be chosen to be included, will
be a huge promotion for lifesaving sport, upgrading the fields
of prevention, rescue and treatment.

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