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Editorial
Grant Hudson, Guest Editor
I think I’m a pretty lucky person. I grew up in
Lake Cathie, a small town on the Mid-North New
South Wales coast. All my friends were surfers,
my brother was a surfer, and my father was (and
still is) a great surfer—not to mention a multiple
Australian and NSW champion, and NSW head
coach! So, I guess my surf knowledge is a
product of my environment. There would not
have been a day go by without my dad, or one of his surfing
buddies, giving me advice. Lake Cathie may have been a small town
but in reality it was a large family.
The surf was my life and my parents made sure I learned to be a
competent swimmer when I was young. What followed were years
of swimming and competing. My swim coach, Larry Brook, was
involved with Port Macquarie SLSC, so swim squad led to nippers,
and eventually I had to make a choice—swimming or surfing—
surfing won!
I travelled the world competing and freesurfing, living a life that was
sometimes surreal, but with two operations before I was 21, I knew it
was a career that would be short-lived. In 2005, I started a national
coaching role with Surfing Australia, which took me to four world title
events, winning ‘team gold’ three times. I worked with some truly
great coaches and athletes from around Australia—some of them
still competing on the world stage today.
I also started as a casual lifeguard for Port Macquarie-Hastings
Council in 2005, and immediately found out I didn’t know a thing
about lifeguarding! The idea of working in small teams, having
enormous responsibility, and preventing incidents, completely threw
me. I knew the surf, I was surf fit, and I had been a volunteer
surf lifesaver for years, but nothing prepared me for watching
beachgoers, preventing incidents, and rescuing people in two-man
teams, on packed beaches, for 8.5-hour shifts. Thankfully, I had
excellent mentors: Larry, my old swim coach, who was also a
lifeguard, and lifeguard coordinator, Jamie Martin, who was
easygoing, supportive, and a great talker and listener. After a few
years of casual lifeguarding, I moved into a seasonal position and
finally became the lifeguard service coordinator.
My position may change but my approach never will: work hard at
building a strong foundation of basic skills, and always have fun! Be
alert, be approachable, be friendly, and be fit. Know the conditions,
know how they’ll change, know your strengths and your
weaknesses, communicate with your partner and expect the
unexpected—a simple rule is ‘never assume’. Treat everyone openly,
with respect, and never make judgments of others. Remember, the
role of a lifeguard is to keep the public safe—it is a massive
responsibility and when it’s just you, your partner and 5,000
beachgoers, you can’t let small things be a distraction.
My passion for helping people began with lifeguarding, and it
appears I enjoyed the responsibility as I am now working for NSW
Ambulance as a trainee paramedic. I have a wonderful family, four
children and a beautiful wife. I really do think I’ve been very lucky,
and I have learned so much, and still have so much to learn.
If you make each day a new challenge you will always be rewarded.
Get out there and have fun.
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Australian Lifeguard Magazine
Australian Lifeguard Magazine
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