Innisfail Aquatic Centre lifeguard Ron Spellman has often said the centre’s staff members are awesome. Now he has proof.
Spellman, an aquatic consultant at the centre, and his fellow lifeguards were recently recognized by the Lifesaving Society of Alberta and the Northwest Territories for having the second highest point total in their division for delivering lifesaving programs and promoting public education.
The centre finished in second place in the Class 4 Affiliate Award category, which is for communities with a population of less than 7,500 people. The Town of Wainwright finished in first, with 2,060 points compared to Innisfail’s 1,785 points. According to the society, the Innisfail Aquatic Centre finished in second place in the category in both 2003 and 2007.
According to the society, the point totals reflect the degree of difficulty, the amount of training and effort, programming time and commitment that each affiliate member dedicates to the society’s programs within the year.
“They’re scored on the number of courses and number of candidates that go through,” said Erin McCarthy, the program coordinator with the Lifesaving Society.
Spellman said the award is in recognition of the work done through the centre’s Junior Lifeguard Club (JLC), which he started over a decade ago, and other programs.
“I think of all the things I’ve done it’s the best thing in the 15 years I’ve been here,” said Spellman, 59.
The club, which originally started with six youth, has grown significantly, Spellman said. It runs from the middle of September to the middle of March and focuses on teamwork, leadership, and community involvement.
“It slowly got bigger and bigger,” he said, noting that many members return year after year. “We’ve got close to 60 kids today.”
Bridget Beaton, the centre’s 23-year-old head lifeguard, said the JLC is always full, with a number of youth on the waiting list hoping to join.
“We’re even considering making a new time for it just to get all those people in,” she said. “Everybody loves it.”
The award shows the centre has some of the best staff around, Beaton added.
“You don’t want to boast but we work really good as a team. Everybody watches out for each other and understands everybody and their different ways of doing things. It comes together really nicely.”
