In Competition leads to learning, I will explore why well-designed competition can be one of the fastest ways to improve real-world Search and Rescue performance. Drawing on our experience as two-time winners of the SAR Games, a weekend format that blends SAR tasks, navigation, teamwork and realistic first aid scenarios, I show how friendly rivalry creates a safe pressure-cooker for practice, feedback and cross-pollination between teams. We’ll connect those lessons to Scott C Hammond’s work in Highly Reliable Teams on what highly reliable teams do differently when failure is not an option, and translate that into practical habits teams can take home on Monday morning. I will be joined by Sverre Rakkenes, from Svelvik Rode Kors whose brainchild the SAR Games is