Surf Life Saving Australia has recently announced that applications are now open for the Women’s Mentoring Program Cohort 6 to be held in September.

The Women’s Mentoring Program supports and encourages confident, strong and skilled women within SLS, to strengthen leadership skills, and develop the next generation of leaders to position SLS for the future.

First launched as part of SLSA’s celebrations to recognise the 40-year milestone of women in SLS on 1 July 2020, the program kicked off with 20 Mentees and 20 Mentors. Now over 190 Mentors and Mentees are involved with the Program.

Surf Life Saving Tasmania member, Olivia Cripps joined the Women’s Mentoring Program Cohort 5 as a mentee.

Cripps has a long affiliation with the SLS movement, starting when she joined Port Sorell SLSC in the north west of Tasmania at eight years old.

After moving for university and taking a few years break, Cripps once again found herself drawn to SLS and joined Kingston Beach SLSC where she was involved with training Cadets (15+), Masters and eventually the Seniors.

Cripps currently serves on her Club Committee and last year became the Secretary, as well as being a member of the SLST Surf Sports Committee

After attending the National Leadership College and hearing positive feedback from her friends and Club President, Cripps decided to apply for the program.

“The president of our club also previously participated in this program and she said that there are so many things that you can learn from people from other states and other clubs,” said Cripps.

“With everyone's recommendations of this program I decided that I wanted to improve my role as Secretary.

“The networking and the confidence to ask for help has been a really important takeaway for me.

“I have just organised the 2024 Tasmanian Pool Rescue Competition, the first run in Tassie after a number of years, as part of my role on the Tasmania Surf Sport committee.

“Through networking with my mentor and other mentors, I was put in contact with a pool comp coach, Melinda Jackson, and she helped me run it and helped organise some people to become coaches.”

Cripps shares that the program involved a number of online catch ups for mentees and mentors as well as the wider cohort.

“The program involved a few workshops which were always recorded; however, it is worth it if you shuffle your plans around to make the workshops as you can ask questions or even just say what you and your mentor have been focussing on, other pairs can give you ideas or other suggestions.

“My mentor and I would catch up every two-to-three weeks via video chat and discuss anything that may have come up in my life.

“My original goal was becoming a better Secretary and we set up small goals and would discuss this, however it became obvious that I was not enjoying the role and instead we found another role within the Surf Sports side of lifesaving that I love and want to excel at.”

As a mentee of the program, Cripps has credited the program with providing new opportunities and ways of working.

“It is such a valuable program for opening your eyes to the world of SLS and how women are involved.

“Even if you think you know everything, talking to people from other clubs and finding out they have the same challenges and seeing how they overcome them, you can learn something new.”

For more information, visit 

• Mentor: Expression of Interest Form
• Mentee: Expression of Interest Form