De Jager once again looking to leave her mark on SA Lifesaving Championships

Sport24, in partnership with DHL and Lifesaving SA, previews the athletes likely to make a splash in the surf or sizzle on the sand at the 2022 DHL Lifesaving National Club Championships in Gqeberha from 20-26 March.

Amica De Jager was 12 years old when a friend convinced her to pick up lifesaving, and now in her 11th year of the sport, she'll be looking to leave the same sort of mark she did last year on the National Club Champs.

In October of 2021, De Jager was named best senior female athlete and cleaned up with 46 out of a possible 48 points, contributing exactly a quarter of Durban Surf Club's senior's points in the surf, to help them to a second-place overall finish.

Still in her early twenties, De Jager specialises in the Iron Lady and the Surf Swim and is equally comfortable competing in the surf and pool events, despite the rigorous nature of training.

"I compete both in the surf and the pool events. I am never scared of training. I train every day, every week and leading up to lifesaving, I ensure to balance my training time between the surf and the pool," said De Jager.

To prepare for her specialist disciplines, De Jager said that she naturally spends a lot of time in the pool, having grown up a swimmer, but other than that, she can be caught in the surf.

Much of De Jager's success has been built off the back of personal drive and ambition, but she still retains strong respect for her competition. "Everyone is your biggest competition, especially in the surf. Anyone has the chance to win, but that's what makes it so exciting and why we love the sport," she said.

"Some days you'll get the wave and other days not, but each race is different, and that is the beauty of the sport - making the most of the conditions you're