lifeguards at the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon 2012

Lifeguards trained at De Anza College have volunteered at the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon since 2004.

June 10, 2012 there were over a thousand kids, ages 15 to four (or occasionally even three).

Every ten minutes another ‘wave’ (small group start) of swimmers climbed in the pool, listened to the announcer and crowd count down the five, four, three, two, one, and completed their swim.

And every ten minutes a new group of very loudly cheering parents/relatives/friends filled the bleachers.

(The announcers gave regular shout-outs to the ‘De Anza lifeguards’ to let the crowds know who was volunteering.)

bleachers full of parents at kids triathlon: bleachers full of relatives and friends at kids triathlon, with two lifeguards in the water assiting swimmers

bleachers of athletes await swim start at triathlon: bleachers of athletes await swim start at triathlon, as lifeguards assist previous swimmers in the pool

In some cases the lifeguards enter the water to swim with kids who look like they are on the verge of needing help, or to assist a struggling swimmer.

three lifeguards assist four swimmers at triathlon: struggling swimmers hold on to lifeguard rescue tubes at a traithlon, one guard has two athletes on her rescue tube

In this picture we see a young man with a faulty facemask who could not continue swimming and grabbed a lane line:

SCVKT 2012 two guards assisting swimmers: long view of pool with boy in near lane having trouble with his face mask and a lifeguard assisting him

lifeguard approaches distressed child with faulty face mask: lifeguard spots and approaches a young swimmer as he grabs a lane line and holds his face mask in the other hand lifeguard assists distressed child with faulty face mask: lifeguard assists distressed child who has stopped swimming because his face mask was loose and/or filled with water

Wendy Tsang assists swimmer at Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon: lifeguard and swimmer in foreground, two other guards also assisting athletes in the background

lifeguard Salina Martinez assists a swimmer at the Silicon Valley Kids triathlon: lifeguard wades with her rescue tube next to a distressed swimmer at a triathlon Howard Ho Wai Mok assists swimmer at the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon: lifeguard helps an athlete finish the swim portion of a triathlon

Christina Bolanos assists swimmer at Silicon Valley Kids triathlon 2012: Lifeguard with athlete at edge of the De Anza diving well lifeguard Eric Champlin assists swimmer at Silicon Valley Kids triathlon: lifeguard swims with rescue tube alongside struggling swimmer

Sherry Fong assists swimmer at Silicon Valley Kids triathlon:

The oldest athletes (15 – 11) swam 200 yards, biked 6 miles and ran 1-1/4 mile. Ages 9 – 10 swam 100 yards, biked 4 miles and ran 1/2 mile. Ages 7-8 also swam 100 yards, but only biked 2 miles and ran 1.2 mile.

Almost all the lifeguards and other De Anza volunteers were in the water for the entire swim of the
the four youngest ‘waves’ (small group starts) of swimmers (6 years old and under, who swam 25 yards, all the way across the width of the De Anza pool, then rode their bikes for one mile and ran 1/4 mile).

2012 kids tri under six getting in pool: kids tri climbing into the pool kids tri under six waiting to get in pool: kids tri 2012 youngest swimmers at pool edge before race

2012 kids tri jumping in: kids jumping into pool at start of swim race 2012 silicon valley kids triathlon youngest in motion.: kids starting swim race with adults assisting them

kids tri last wave in motion 2012.: kids triathlon swimmers

Mila and Kanishka De Lanerole assist swimmer at. the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon 2012: two adults walk next to a 4 year old triathlete doing backstroke

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Lifeguards/escort swimmers for the race included:

American Red Cross Lifeguard, Lifeguard Instructor and Lifeguard Instructor Trainers Ken Mignosa and Mary Donahue.

American Red Cross Lifeguard and Lifeguard Instructors Alan Ahlstrand and Raul Alba.

American Red Cross Lifeguards Christina Bolanos, Eric Champlin, Kelly Darnall, Marco Estrada, Sierra Jansen, Salina Martinez, Howard Ho Wai Mok, Sara Newell, Jessica Perine, Victor Pettyplace, Sarah Than, Tuchih Tsai and Wendy Tsang.

American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors Mila Wojslaw De Lanerolle, Sherry Fong, Phung Nguyen, and Imelda Terrazas.

and these De Anza swim students: Kanishka De Lanerolle, Maritza Lew, Naeim Nastar, Leticia Samaniego and Lawrence Wong.

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The race is a fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund.

guards on deck at Silicon Valley kids tri: 4 lifeguards at one section of a pool with another lifeguard in the background at the diving well

Six of the volunteers from the De Anza student body originally were adults afraid of the water who entered the De Anza College swim class for adult non-swimmers: Novice swimming.

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All photos on this page are by Alan Ahlstrand, Magna Cum Laude graduate of De Anza College and volunteer of record with the college as a lifeguard instructor and swim instructor since 1987.