Published: 7 April 2025

Isabel May Jones shares how the Rookie Lifeguard Programme sparked her joy for lifesaving and helped secure work alongside her University studies.

Since I was 12, I have been involved in the RLSS UK Rookie Lifesaving Programme through my lifesaving club at school, Edgbaston High School for Girls. Starting by completing my Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, I then completed my Assistant Lifesaving Instructor qualification at 14. I then had the experience of teaching younger girls at our weekly lifesaving club. In my final two years, I also had the experience of becoming Lifesaving Captain and learning about managing people and working on my communication skills. At 16, I completed my National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) and this for me is where my true love of lifesaving began. Along with a few other lifeguards at my school, I had the incredible opportunity of working at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. I then also began actively working as a Lifeguard at weekends and school holidays. During my final year of A-Levels I applied to become an RLSS UK Youth Ambassador and was accepted after an interview in September 2023. This has been an incredible experience for the past 3 years of my term being able to attend exciting events such as the National Lifesaving Championships, and I have now renewed my term in this role for the forthcoming 3 years.

When choosing a university, I was set on finding one with my chosen course, Textile Design, and a pool for me to continue my lifeguarding. In September of 2023, I went to Loughborough University where I worked as a Lifeguard for a small swim school, Aqua-tec. At university, I have channelled my love of water through both AU Canoe and AU Triathlon. From around May of 2024 I moved to a new job at the University of Birmingham as a Sports Assistant and this is somewhere I continue to work in my university holidays. In June of 2024 I passed my assessment to become a Level 2 STA Swim Teacher, a course very well complimented by an NPLQ. This academic year (2024-25) I have been teaching swimming lessons whilst at university. Overall I am so grateful for RLSS UK for some incredible experiences and my fantastic lifesaving teacher, Michelle Hayward, who sparked my love for lifesaving from a young age.

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