LIFEGUARD TRAINING 1992
Diving head first into a pool? Never been done before...well, by me at least. And yet I wanted to be a lifeguard. That was probably because I was a pasty white skinned freckled sophomore in high school who wanted to be cool and tan. Because that is obviously what is important. I showed up for my first day of training ready to go, but totally unprepared! We were tested on the 25 meter in under 18 seconds swim, the 800 meter swim before we were even going to be taught lifeguard stuff! Oh my. I. Am. Not. A. Swimmer.
The first try at the dive (before even trying the 25 meter swim), I just put my hands in the front fin and went for it. Went straight to the bottom. Fail. I prayed the entire walk back to try it again, knowing that I am capable but untrained...plus I'm lifeguard ing at a water park where the deepest pool is 3 feet and it is illegal to dive. I made it in 16 seconds.
We were warned that by the last day of training we would have to hold a 10 pound brick over our head while treading water for a full 5 minutes. I went straightway to my grandma's pool and practiced with my brothers weights. I began each swim session with a prayer, because the first day I couldn't even keep myself above water let alone with a 10 pound brick! I practiced for hours and days...and never improved. How is that even possible?!
The final test day arrived. I easily passed the 800 meter, saving a drowning person, getting an injured person out of a pool and on a stretcher, jumping in without my head going under, and it was now time for the brick. I knew going into it that I wasn't going to pass, but I had done everything in my power to try. Swim team members were amazing and kept their entire torso out of the water along with the stupid brick. Sheesh. Finally, I was next in line. Ugh...and then...
Someone from the office called out to our trainer that she had a phone call In the office (no cell phones at the time, obviously). She turned over training to another lifeguard. This lifeguard turned to us and said, "if you can keep the brick out of the water for 5 minutes, I don't care how you do it". I slipped into the pool with my 10 pound brick , tried to tread water, gave up, swam in a circle, on my back, and held the brick out of the water for the 5 minutes. She marked me off the chart, the trainer came back and I was done.
I expected the Lord to strengthen my body to accomplish the task, but sometimes I think He tests my faith in Him by making it seem like it won't work out. But then again, if it doesn't work out, it wasn't meant to be. I am blessed with a pure faith in my Heavenly Father. I know not everyone has this gift, but I truly KNOW that everything works out the way God intends it to, so why question it? I don't. It all works out.
And FYI, I have never done another dive or swam with a brick again, to this day.
Diving head first into a pool? Never been done before...well, by me at least. And yet I wanted to be a lifeguard. That was probably because I was a pasty white skinned freckled sophomore in high school who wanted to be cool and tan. Because that is obviously what is important. I showed up for my first day of training ready to go, but totally unprepared! We were tested on the 25 meter in under 18 seconds swim, the 800 meter swim before we were even going to be taught lifeguard stuff! Oh my. I. Am. Not. A. Swimmer.
The first try at the dive (before even trying the 25 meter swim), I just put my hands in the front fin and went for it. Went straight to the bottom. Fail. I prayed the entire walk back to try it again, knowing that I am capable but untrained...plus I'm lifeguard ing at a water park where the deepest pool is 3 feet and it is illegal to dive. I made it in 16 seconds.
We were warned that by the last day of training we would have to hold a 10 pound brick over our head while treading water for a full 5 minutes. I went straightway to my grandma's pool and practiced with my brothers weights. I began each swim session with a prayer, because the first day I couldn't even keep myself above water let alone with a 10 pound brick! I practiced for hours and days...and never improved. How is that even possible?!
The final test day arrived. I easily passed the 800 meter, saving a drowning person, getting an injured person out of a pool and on a stretcher, jumping in without my head going under, and it was now time for the brick. I knew going into it that I wasn't going to pass, but I had done everything in my power to try. Swim team members were amazing and kept their entire torso out of the water along with the stupid brick. Sheesh. Finally, I was next in line. Ugh...and then...
Someone from the office called out to our trainer that she had a phone call In the office (no cell phones at the time, obviously). She turned over training to another lifeguard. This lifeguard turned to us and said, "if you can keep the brick out of the water for 5 minutes, I don't care how you do it". I slipped into the pool with my 10 pound brick , tried to tread water, gave up, swam in a circle, on my back, and held the brick out of the water for the 5 minutes. She marked me off the chart, the trainer came back and I was done.
I expected the Lord to strengthen my body to accomplish the task, but sometimes I think He tests my faith in Him by making it seem like it won't work out. But then again, if it doesn't work out, it wasn't meant to be. I am blessed with a pure faith in my Heavenly Father. I know not everyone has this gift, but I truly KNOW that everything works out the way God intends it to, so why question it? I don't. It all works out.
And FYI, I have never done another dive or swam with a brick again, to this day.
