Tag: lifeguard

fitness · swimming

Facing an old fear and getting back in the big waves

Sam B1 Comment

In December 2007, just over 17 years ago,  I hurt myself pretty badly while on sabbatical in Australia. The whole family, including Jeff’s sister Susan who was visiting, were staying at a colleague’s cottage in Milton and enjoying a day at Mollymook Beach. Everyone, kids and adults, were playing and splashing in the waves. A fun day.

Suddenly, a very big wave appeared out of nowhere. It basically picked me up and threw me on the beach. I can’t describe it any other way. I couldn’t have done anything to make it end differently.

I passed out when I landed and I was in so much pain I was certain I’d broken my hip. Family took me to the emergency room. Nothing was broken, as it turned out. It was all soft tissue injury. It took me weeks to recover. For a few years after, my back wasn’t the same and I kept having back injuries. Needless to say, I’ve taken waves much more seriously ever since.

At the time it was all overshadowed by a much more dramatic event that happened that same weekend–Jeff’s more serious health issue,  a spider bite that caused his arm to swell up dramatically. Oh,  Australia.

Unlike me he was admitted to emerg and then ICU (yes, same hospital that I’d been to earlier in the day) and then spent days in hospital on IV antibiotics recovering, testing out the limits of our university travel insurance.

Okay, we’re both fine now. Maybe he’s more nervous about spiders. I’m definitely more nervous about playing in the surf. I’ve been in the ocean since, maybe once or twice, but only when it’s been calm.

Here’s where on the Australian coast it all went down.

Staying out of the surf has been easy in southwestern Ontario. I haven’t had to think about it really.  There are lots of lakes but no nearby oceans. I’ve visited the ocean in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia but it’s so cold there I’ve had zero temptation to get in.

I did love watching the surfers at Lawrencetown beach in Nova Scotia where some people actually surf year round. Brrrr!

Now here I am in Dunedin, New Zealand, living in the neighbourhood of St. Clair, one block from the beach. St. Clair beach is a good beach for surfing, lots of big waves. I love watching the beach. On a good day there’s dozens of surfers, My favourite is watching the kids and teens doing their surf lifesaving training in the evening. They wear wetsuits and confidently swim out through the waves. Sometimes they take boards and race back. I’m impressed!

Between the big waves and the cold water though–not to mention the shark warning bell!–I haven’t been that tempted to go in myself. Yes, to the hot salt water swimming pool but no to the ocean. But last weekend we had family from Australia visit, my cousin Greg and his wife, Jo. And we had an extra warm day. Also, the waves weren’t that big, and lifeguards were on duty between the flags. All the stars had lined up just right, and I happily went back into the waves.

Shark bell!
The salt water pool

Here we are! Yes, the waves knocked me off my feet once or twice. You can see from our faces below that we look plenty happy though. I think I’ve gotten over my fear of waves. Thanks all!

Thanks Greg for the photo. I’m in the middle, Jo on the left and Sarah on the right. (I’m going to nag Jo into writing about CrossFit sometime I hope.)

Jo, Sam,  and Sarah
St. Clair beach
The pool in the distance

fitness · Guest Post · swimming

Being Underestimated by the Lifeguards (Guest Post)

Sam B

by Mallory Brennan

Over the summer, I started lane swimming as one of the few socially acceptable fitness activities. Our outdoor pools were open with restrictions and it was almost impossible to book a lane. But once you did, it was fantastic! One swimmer per lane, booked in advance so you could schedule your time, masks worn in the changerooms and the pools themselves were outside!

Once September hit, I moved to the indoor pools. Now, I’m not going to say indoor lane swimming is risk-free since nothing is these days BUT I will say, for me personally, it is within an acceptable level of risk. One person per lane, pre-booked time slots, minimized time spent in changerooms and masks worn everywhere except in the pool itself. In addition, the gym I’ve been attending has two sets of changerooms and has dedicated one of the them ONLY to swimmers with specific lockers set aside all very distanced from each other. Once you get onto the pool deck, each swimmer has their own space on the bench marked off for you stuff and the lifeguards are diligent in reminding you to wear your mask until you are about to enter the water.

One of my favourite exercises when swimming is to tread water with a brick. For those of you who don’t know, lifeguards often train using a brick to create additional weight. These bricks come in either 5lbs, 10lbs or 20lbs and treading water with a 20-lb brick is equivalent to carrying a 200-lb person. This is the standard that all lifeguards (in Canada) must be able to meet.

These bricks are kept in the lifeguard office and you must ask politely to borrow them. Most lifeguards are slightly flummoxed by this request since most people don’t know they exist let alone want to use them for exercise! When I first started swimming at this gym, I had to explain myself and the lifeguard had to check with her supervisor before I was allowed to use the brick as they don’t normally let people use them due to risk of injury. Now it’s not an issue and so far, it’s been the same lifeguard on duty who remembers me.

This morning, it was different lifeguards on duty and when I asked, they were clearly flummoxed by this request. The following conversation took place:

  • “I’m not sure if you can use the bricks, I’d have to check with my supervisor and she’s not here right now”
  • “I was here earlier this week and the lifeguard on duty checked with your manager, it wasn’t an issue.”
  • “Okay”. (Goes to guard office and audibly asks the other guard to pass out the 5-lb or 10-lb brick).
  • “Actually, I was using the 20-lb yellow brick last time. Can I use that one today?”
  • “That one’s only for lifeguards, I’m not sure we are allowed to give it out to people”
  • Other lifeguard comes out and looks at me: “Are you a lifeguard?”.
  • “Yes although my NLS expired over the summer”
  • “Just give it to her”

And I got the heavy brick! I will admit, there was moment of pleasure watching the initial lifeguards face as I cheerfully started my exercises with the 20-lb brick. Following 15 minutes of drills with the brick, my legs feeling rubbery I exited the pool area and went on about my day.

Mallory is human, currently doing graduate study in Community Music. She loves traveling and spending time outdoors and prefers not to wear shoes when possible.