Hello yall!
So I’ve wanted to talk about this for some time now, simply because this is not a ‘sport’ taken up by many, so it is something that is really quite different.
Ever since I was a little girl, I always had a special bond with the water. Nothing made me happier than splashing around all day. The water calms me, soothes me and comforts me. Swimming pools are part of my happy space, but what makes me happy also includes the people I train with.
I first started learning to swim when I was 7. It took a long time, mainly because I kept stopping lessons to focus on my exams, but when I was 15 I embarked on my lifesaving journey.
Part 1: The Awards
The first award I went for was Lifesaving 1, 2, 3.
This is essentially 3 awards, but due to their huge similarity, many coaches offer courses that train and conduct the assessment for all 3 awards together.
This award was challenging in the sense that everything was really new and it was like nothing I had every done before. But it was also really fun and stress-free, mainly because there isn’t a timed item. The focus is really on getting the skills right and to learn the theory properly before moving on to the next stage.
The next stage is Bronze Medallion.
Now this is the real deal. Completing BM would mean that you are qualified to work as a lifeguard. BM was a challenge for me especially, having to push myself a lot more in physical sense. There are timing items to train for in this award, hence the challenge. There is quite a fair bit of theory to learn as well, considering that this is the foundation of most lifesaving awards.
Moving on from BM, the next awards I went for in Pool Lifesaving were Pool Lifeguard and Award of Merit. Both pushed me further physically than I ever expected. There are minimal differences in theory, a little extra but nothing major.
Another sector of lifesaving is Open Water Lifesaving. This is where we train on the beach and train to swim in the sea. My first experience there was in 2018, and I’ve completed my Bronze Cross and Silver Cross since then.
Moving forward, I’m aiming to complete my Distinction Award and my Patrol Lifeguard awards soon.
Part 2: The People
Well a huge part of why I enjoy this so much is really because of the people there training with me. My course mates are not limited to school kids, there are adults, people in their 40s having a brilliant career outside the pool, but so easy going and helpful in the pool. They have so much more life experience and are so willing to share. Talking to them is always a joy, because we get to see the world through their eyes for a little while.
Even if I only consider people my age, there are kids from all the different streams of the education system. Having been in a school with only one stream and now a JC, there is a certain demographic of people I’ve been around. As much as I hate labels, this is not something I can really deny. But during training, all these differences are put aside and we are just a bunch of teenagers swimming and hoping to pass the timing. Talking to them is when I get to learn about the different streams, they system they are under, the experience they have and their thoughts and everything under the sun. These are people who are comfortable with where they are, so there isn’t a situation where they are embarrassed about their stream and are unwilling to share. And honestly, we really are not that different when it comes down to it. We’re just teens trying our best to graduate.
These people are not just my course mates, they are my family.
Part 3: The Experience
I’m not going to say too much here. I’m just going to say this one thing.
This whole experience has been beyond amazing, and I am looking forward to more fun times to come.
I don’t know how else to describe this but you can be sure that the next time I think of another way to describe this, I’ll update this post or just write another post for sure.
Part 4: For My Singaporean Readers
If I have convinced you to give this sport a go, here are a couple of links you can check out.
^This links you to the official website of the Singapore Life Saving Society. Here you can find out more about the society and well, that’s mainly it. You can also find the award syllabus there, but I’m just going to include it here as well.
^This links you to the lifeguard.sg website, which is basically a company that provides lifesaving courses. For courses that you can sign up for, you can always contact them or just check the website, they update it super regularly, the moment they open a new course, practically.
I’m not sure if I’ll get into trouble for this but I really don’t think I will but yes this is where I train and if my word for it counts, they are honestly amazing. If you ever want to come and learn lifesaving with us, I promise that we are a bunch of very warm and welcoming people.
But, as with the JC experience, don’t just take my word for it, come and try it for yourself. I look forward to seeing you guys there! Just drop me a DM and we can always meet there, no problem.
Well I hope this post was informative. Till the next one, cya!!
One Step At A Time 