Florian at the beach

German Student From Campus East Awarded Bronze Medallion

Florian Roser, a student living @ Campus East recently received his Bronze Medallion from the Woonona SLSC. While this an admirable achievement in any circumstance, what is remarkable about this is that Florian is from Wuppertal, Germany, about 350 km from the nearest beach.

Florian has had little experience in the surf and has only been to the coast four or five times in the past three years. “In Germany, windsurfing is more popular than surfing and there aren’t any really good wave beaches,” said Florian.

While living @ Campus East, Florian attended a surf awareness session that was held on site at Campus East and presented by John McInally, Peter Evert (President) and Phil Geary (Club Captain) from Woonona SLSC.

“We were told about the dangers in the ocean (especially rips and currents), how to detect these and what to do if we got caught in these. We were also told about the Bronze Medallion and I was really interested to find out more about the surf and how to handle it. I was particularly interested in the first aid session, resuscitation and how I can use these skills to save lives, not only at the beach, but anywhere,” said Florian. “It was also a great chance to meet other people outside the student community and to find out more about the surf club.”

John emphasised the importance of safety in the surf and was impressed by how enthusiastic Florian was. “He has fitted right in to the Woonona Club and is keen to do as many patrols as possible.”

When asked about the experience, Florian said the training was a lot of fun, especially the rescueboard, the IRB (inflatable rescue boat) and the Rhino (similar to a quad with two seats). He described some of the surfing terms and Aussie lingo as challenging to understand at the start, but after a few weeks he soon became familiar with them.

“I found everyone very friendly and helpful, which is how I’ve found most people in Australia, at Campus East and UOW.” said Florian.

Florian is studying a combined Commerce/Engineering degree and has been studying at UOW for one session, finishing in November. He will finish his course in Germany at the start of 2011.

Woonona SLSC has shown an ongoing commitment to Campus East residents and staff by providing regular Surf Awareness sessions. If anyone is interested in participating in the Bronze Medallion or learning more about surf awareness they can contact Woonona SLSC at contact@woononaslsc.com.au