Sports have the ability to shape our lives, whether we play for health, rehabilitation, work, fun, or competition. Swimming has the added benefit of being able to save lives in emergencies. Among all sports, lifesaving has a special purpose: it prepares us for the worst. To make sure everyone is playing fairly during training and competition, we need rules. This book is a valuable resource that sets standards for fair play in sports, especially lifesaving. The authors, Dr Stathis Avramidis and Dr Ioanna Mastora, deserve praise for raising awareness about the importance of mutual respect among all participants, which is more important than winning. I have seen the stories of many aquatic heroes who achieved greatness and even immortality through their achievements in the water and by inspiring and saving lives. But when you look at the walls of our museum at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, you realize that mutual respect is more important than winning. That's because only three competitors can stand on the podium. If winning was the only goal, all the other competitors would be considered less. But as Antoine de Saint Exupery said in "The Little Prince," "what is essential is invisible to the eye." As a Board Member of the "Mecca” of Aquatics and Olympian, I understand that the "Fair Play in Lifesaving Sport" was written to protect the essential values of the sport.
Dara Torres
Board Member, International Swimming Hall
of Fame
12-time Olympic Medalist
