The purpose of the Huntington Junior Lifeguard Exchange is to build connections between New Zealand lifeguards and American lifeguards. This program creates an awesome atmosphere for young lifeguards to get a taste of lifesaving on opposite sides of the world. This exchange has been particularly significant to my growth and development as a lifeguard due to the differences between the way New Zealand and California run their beaches. I was pushed out of my comfort zone on this trip, and I have been able to grow, not only as a lifeguard, but as a person as well.
I took part in all of the Huntington camps that were organised by our instructors: Gabby, Sam, and Jackson. Each camp focused on building up our physical and mental strength. A real highlight for me was how these camps brought all of the guards together. I wasn’t necessarily close with everyone when we started but with team-based activities, I can say that this group of people have become some of my best friends. A couple of other physical highlights that came out of these training camps for me included: a peak-to-peak, half-marathon, and the Shoe Island swim. The hardest part in preparation for this trip was the countless runs that were part of each training weekend and part of my weekly routine. Eventually, the run training paid off and I shaved more than a minute off of my initial time trial run which I was happy with. Closer to the trip, Bella and I began swimming together which motivated and kept us both accountable for our training.
My expectations towards the trip were nothing like the trip itself. I did not expect to have half the amount of fun in America as I did. I dreaded a couple of our training camps in Tairua, however these are now some of my fondest memories!
A day-in-the-life on Huntington Beach kicked off at 8:15 am every morning, dressed in our white and red Junior guard uniforms. We took part in countless activities throughout the day including runs, pier swims, board paddles, buoy swims, and speed boat training. A highlight on one of the first couple of days was a relay race against Piha Beach. We were put in teams within our clubs and competed in swimming and running challenges. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone get a bigger mouthful of sand than Sophie did that day! In the second week, we were lucky enough to take part in a Pier jump which was pretty sick! I was the first girl from Tairua to jump off and I am pretty sure you could hear my scream all the way back in New Zealand. When I surfaced, I received my fin to my head as Mrs Determan challenged herself to throw each person's fins directly at them! Another highlight was being able to perform a rescue while shadowing American lifeguards in the towers along the beach. Within twenty minutes of being on a tower, I had done my very first rescue in America. Huntington Beach lifeguards are huge on their preventative actions, so I was in and out of the water constantly. It was an awesome taster of patrolling on such a huge beach. I think that the most important skill that I picked up during my time in America is to just be overly proactive on the beach. There are so many people on the beach at a time that for them it is better to step in earlier than later. The level of fitness that they need to maintain is insane and was really inspiring!
The biggest challenge that I had to overcome was my running. I despised running before we went on this trip and with the added support from Sam, this was something that I was really proud of when it came to our last time trial. This trip has been an amazing experience that impacted my personal growth, confidence and skills as a lifeguard. This was possible through the incredible relationships/ friendships that I was able to strengthen with the Tairua team. I am so grateful to have these people in my life and I couldn’t think of a better squad to go overseas with!
It was pretty incredible to see the differences between the Junior guard program at Huntington Beach in comparison to Tairua. The number of kids that take part in this program is hefty. You have to be 16 to gain your lifeguard qualification in America hence the number of kids taking part in the Junior program. Something that took us all by surprise on the trip was how serious everyone was. Calling everyone ‘Sir and Ma’am’, it was nearly like being in the army at one point. In the first week, a sand crab gave Jordan a run for his money in a push-up competition. This just showed us the fitness level of these kids at the ripe age of 7 years old.
This trip was really a trip of a lifetime. I could not be more grateful to everyone who made this trip possible and go as smoothly as it did. I will forever be thankful to have experienced this trip with my favourite group of people. I cannot put into words how much this trip has meant to me. My billet family was absolutely awesome and I cannot thank Kaia and Jesse enough for making my experience at Huntington Beach worthwhile. Although Kaia isn’t coming back to New Zealand, I am so excited to host one of her mates in New Zealand and show them all Coromandel has to offer!
