Lifeguard Olympics: Topstone Park lifeguards take first place

Monday, 29 November 1999 19:00

In a blinding display of aquatic prowess, the Topstone Park lifeguards took first place over all in the Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association Lifeguard Challenge, also known as the Lifeguard Olympics, on July 25.

Nine teams competed in rescue events, physical challenges, and first aid scenarios. With only eight guards able to attend, Topstone was the smallest team present — some facilities brought over twice that number of competitors. The event was hosted at Martin Park in Ridgefield, allowing a few die-hard Topstone fans to cheer their team to victory.

Despite losing a few key members to ill-timed vacations and previous engagements, Topstone gained an early lead in rescue and first aid scenarios. Primary rescuer Rory O’Donnell, with the help of secondary rescuers Katie Cieri and Melissa Touma, led Topstone to take second place in the Shallow Water Backboarding Event. Meanwhile, Bobby Cieri and Kelly O’Donnell successfully completed the Critical Incident Scenario by aiding an unfortunate boater who suffered a faux broken ankle. The team also performed well in the Deep Water Passive Victim Rescue behind Bobby Cieri and Rory O’Donnell.

Topstone’s early lead was extended by a stunning performance in the volleyball tournament. The six-man team went undefeated to sweep the championship, despite having a smaller cheering crowd than the rest of competitors. Sean Hanczor led the team in height and lived up to a long Hanczor legacy at the park, providing an anchor across the court. Rory O’Donnell had some earth-moving diving saves and Bobby Cieri unleashed some unorthodox moves at the net.

The Fitness Relay was a challenge for all teams involved, combining swimming and running through the water. Topstone’s effort was soon overshadowed by their brilliant performance against the fresh legs of other teams in the biathalon. Sondra McAdam’s strong swimming and Melissa Touma’s aggressive running shot the team to a lead which Peter Haferl and Bobby Cieri capitalized on in the second leg, achieving a fourth place spot among the much larger teams.

Finally, the Gauntlet gave Topstone the final few points it needed to clinch the first place title and an engraving on the Lifeguard Challenge cup, which will be presented to Park and Rec. Director Rob Blick in the fall. The team leapt to a great lead in their heat with revolutionary paddleboating strategy, which was subsequently copied by every other team. Kelly O’Donnell’s crossword habit paid off in the word scramble, and the team quickly moved through the last two stations.

Topstone prepared only minimally for the Challenge, relying instead on their training regimen of weekly staff skills review and practice, as well as daily in-service drills. Park Director Bobby Cieri and Assistant Director Kelly O’Donnell are very proud of how hard the lifeguards at Topstone work every day to keep their skills sharp and the park safe. They would also like to express their gratitude to the patrons of the park for respecting the daily drills. Anyone 14 years or older interested in lifeguarding at Topstone should contact Park Director Bobby Cieri at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , regardless of present level of certification.

While the staff trains for the rest of this summer and the next, they will be focused not only on lifesaving, but also on defending their championship title in next year’s events.

This article was submitted by Kelly O’Donnell, the assistant park director.

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