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Develops swimming proficiency, lifesaving skill and personal fitness. Candidates refine their stroke mechanics, acquire self-rescue skills, and apply fitness principles in training workouts. Bronze Star is excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion and provides a fun introduction to lifesaving sport.

Prerequisite: None (Level 9 experience recommended.)

1. The Lifesaving Society: Demonstrate knowledge of the Lifesaving Society and awareness of its training program opportunities.

2. Self-rescue

• Simulate self-rescue techniques for the following circumstances: ice, swamped or capsized boat.
• Wearing a shirt and lightweight pants, enter the water and don a lifejacket or PFD. Demonstrate HELP for 1 minute; form a huddle with two or more others for another minute.

3. Entries: Demonstrate three safe entries appropriate to the environment.

4. Swimming and lifesaving strokes:

• Swim 25 m or yd. each of: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke.
• Swim 25 m or yd. each of: head-up front crawl, head-up breaststroke.
• Swim 25 m or yd. each of: whip kick, eggbeater, scissor kick or inverted scissor kick.

5. Sculling: In ready position:

• Scull in place for 30 seconds.
• Scull head-first 10 m and scull
  feet-first 10 m.

6. Victim recognition: Demonstrate ability to recognize the difference between a weak swimmer and a non-swimmer.

7. Reaching and throwing assists:

• Demonstrate two reaching assists.
• Demonstrate accuracy in throwing assists: throw a buoyant aid a distance of 5 m placing the aid within 1 m of the centre of a target three out of four times.
• Throw a buoyant aid with line to a victim
  5 m distant and pull the victim to safety.

8. Drowning resuscitation: On a manikin, demonstrate single-rescuer adult and child drowning resuscitation including ability to deal with complications.

9. Obstacle swim: On the instructor’s signal, swim 50 m or yd. submerging under an obstacle twice during the swim.

10. Rescue drill: On the instructor’s signal, don a shoulder loop and line, enter the water and swim head-up to a partner or manikin located at the surface 25 m or yd. away. Tow partner or manikin to starting position.

11. Fitness challenge: Complete a 400 m or yd. fitness training workout:

• 100 m or yd. warm-up.
• 6 x 25 m or yd. one of front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, or lifesaving kick.
• 2 x 50 m or yd. one of head-up front crawl or head-up breaststroke.
• 50 m or yd. cool-down.