Young gun surf lifesaver set to patrol 129 beaches to promote surf lifesaving

Meet the young man who is set to patrol every beach in NSW that is home to a surf club. There are two major reasons for why Sam Atkins is embarking on the challenge.

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MEET the teenager who is so passionate about surf lifesaving that he has vowed to patrol 129 NSW beaches.

Sam Atkins, a member of Brunswick Surf Life Saving Club (located in northern NSW) spent the past six weeks patrolling the 21 beaches on the peninsula that have surf clubs.

But that’s only the beginning of his gruelling five-year journey, as he sets out to patrol the state’s remaining 108 beaches that have surf clubs.

Mr Atkins, 17, has taken up the unique challenge as part of an awareness ­campaign.

Sam Atkins, 17, from Brunswick SLSC, pictured at Queenscliff beach and with other members of Queenscliff SLSC: Logan Kaye, Nick Warby and Leho Stensland.

The inspirational young man is using the challenge to urge clubs to set up junior committees (for clubbies aged 15-17), if they don’t have one already, as well as encouraging older members to take up senior committee roles within their club.

He is also using the opportunity to encourage patrolling members to offer to patrol at other clubs when required to do so.

“What I'm really trying to push is to get all the active surf lifesavers to patrol different clubs,” he said.

Sam Atkins, 17, from Brunswick SLSC.

“It’s about encouraging neighbouring surf clubs to have that relationship, where if a club is short on numbers for patrol, you can say ‘give us a call and we will send someone down for the weekend’.”

So far in the challenge Mr Atkins has been required to make his first ever rescue, at South Narrabeen earlier this month.

Mr Atkins said South Narrabeen SLSC’s Andy Cross inspired him to take up the challenge.

Mr Cross surfed a minimum of three waves at all 129 beaches in 2014 to promote clubbies undertaking surf lifesaving’s gold medallion challenge.