GLSA Hon. Member, Dr Klaus Wlikens, passed away at age 82
Germany 15.07.2025. With sorrow we inform that our GLSA Honorary Member, Dr Klaus Wlikens (Germany), passed away at the age of 82 (more).
Dr Wilkens was instrumental in Greek, European and International drowning prevention and lifesaving sport. He is one of the world's legends and he left a legacy behind him.
Thanks to John Long, Secretary General of the Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth (RLSSC), Dr Stathis Avramidis, first met Klaus at the RLSSC Championships and Conference in Eastborne 2001 and later visited together, Queen Elizabeth II at the Bakinham Palace. It was there that Klaus invited Stathis to become later an ILS International Lifesaving Instructor in Bulgaria, using his status as RLSS UK Trainer/Assessor.
Since then they had constant communication and collaboration in terms of scholarly work, historical archives and confidential negotiations. Through the years they developed a loyal friendship and mutual respect. The peak of their collaboration was Klaus' intervention to help Greece advance lifesaving sport first within the Hellenic Federation of Underwater Activity (that was failed for various reasons that history will reveal in the future) and later within the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association (a mission that was eventually completed thanks to the strategic genious intervention of Dr Harald Vervaecke, ILS Secretary General).
The "father" of Greek professional lifeguarding, and past GLSA Honorary President, Lucas Bistarakis, said: "Klaus was one of the pioneers that connected the past with our present. He was one of the three most dear lifesaving authorities that I have known. We all die one day. What is important, is what we leave behind us. Klaus has left an uparallel legacy. We thank him."
He is one of the most decorated people around the world. In 2017, Stathis nominated and received on Klaus' behalf, an award by the International Swimming Hall of Fame (video).
Klaus received it shortly after in a dual award ceremony in Greece, at the 3rd Pan-Hellenic Lifesaving Championships of the Hellenic Federation of Underwater Activity & Sport Fishing (video). In 2024, he became a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Mediterranan Lifesaving Confederation (more). He will be greatly missed.
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