The Gold Coast Football Club’s playing squad were thrown into the deep end from today when they took on training of a different kind – surf lifesaving.

And to ensure the elite team of young men got the best advice, Surf Life Saving’s king and queen of the surf were on hand to take them through their paces. Champion ironman Ky Hurst and ironwoman Hayley Bateup joined the team for their first bronze medallion training session this morning.

The course will run for eight weeks and is an essential component of the clubs community program, as well as ensuring the playing squad who have come together from all over the nation, embrace the Gold Coast culture of sun, surf and sand.

The bronze medallion is the minimum requirement for an active surf lifesaver and GCFC players will need to demonstrate proficiency in surf awareness, survival, patrol and rescue procedures, emergency care, as well as anatomy and physiology.

GCFC Football Manager Marcus Ashcroft says the bronze medallion course is an important part of the players development program.

“Taking the environment and culture of the Gold Coast into account, it is essential for the players to obtain the skills of a surf lifesaver and long term they will be able to put back into the community by potentially doing patrols on the beaches,” he said.

“The bronze medallion incorporates a lot of our conditioning and recovery training and also gives the players an involvement outside of football.”

The course will include theory about the aquatic environment and rescue techniques, caring for basic injuries, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, aquatic survival and rescue skills, basic management of spinal injuries and performing a rescue.

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