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Thursday, August 11, 2016 | 48 ADIAN CHAMPION a CA 2 TO www.insidehalton.com | 4 SUMMER SAFETY NET ‘Forced‘ into swimming lessons by his mom, teen now part of Town‘s lifeguarding crew By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Thomas Curley can‘t hear a whistle blow without being thrust into high alert. It‘s an occupational hazard he not only accepts, but embraces. "I could be at the Leisure Centre and hear a whistle coming from the gym and I‘ll jump up, explained the 18â€"yearâ€"old Bishop Reding Secondâ€" ary School graduate, one of roughly 100 lifeguards at Town of Milton pools â€" which are especially busy this time of year. "I think it‘ll (reacâ€" tion to whistle) always be there. It‘s just built into me now." Now in his fourth year of lifeguardâ€" ing â€" spending most of his sumâ€" mer days at Rotary Park Curley readily admits he wasn‘t the most enthusiastic student when it came to swimming lessons. At least not early on. My mom forced me into it. She wanted me to at least pass Bronze Medallion and feel safe that | was a fantastic swimmer," he recalled. "I didn‘t really like it at first, but once the training went on and the lifeâ€" saving aspects came In, like first aid and rescue breathing, ! found it very interesting." Along the way ame from a relative‘s globeâ€"trotting ad inspiration ventures. She (aunt or cousin Tanya) was a lifeguard who went all over the world working. We‘d get photos from all these countries with her in different uniforms and be like, ‘Wow!" said Curley, whose dad was a competitive swimmer and who had an ultraâ€"short commute from Reding to the Milton Leisure Centre during the late stages of his life guard training With a summer as sweltering as this ve, Curley noted that he and his fel low lifé juards are as vigilant in look ing out for each other as they are for the swimmers in their charge We‘re making do (in extreme heat). We make sure were all stay ing hydrated and have a container of freezie caid the socal teen Town of Milton lifeguard Thomas Curley on duty at the Rotary Park pool. The 18â€"yearâ€"old Bishop Reding Secondary School graduate says hats and sunâ€" glasses are part of the uniform. Graham Paine / Metroland West Media Group ) U l ; e V\/orklr\g C up a Cweat Part1of® _2 [ y \ N esP w who since becoming a lifeqguard at 15 has played a supporting role in three rescues taking on crowd control family members outgoing, takeâ€"charge vour water bottle‘s still full after a time you‘re going to be chugging it. If you don‘t get enough fluids out communication with tasks that suit his nature. "If and there you‘re going to get a throb bing headache. | burn easily, so I out there. I think I‘ve gone through thre And we‘ve all got mandatory hats and sunglas When h Park or the ve got my SPF 60 tubes already ‘% not on duty at Rotary Leisure Centre, Curley can be found running swimming lessons for the Town While pre schoolers make up his primal! insidehaiton.com (Follow on Twitter @halton photog) student base, he‘s eager to share a reminder of how it‘s never too late to learn a new skill. "Last year | had an 83â€"yearâ€"old man who couldn‘t swim, but wanted to learn because he was going on a vaâ€" cation with his grandchild. He was really committed and a lot of fun. And my grandmother who‘s 77 only learned recently. She was so excited to call me up and tell me she did a back float "It‘s something everyone needs to learn. It‘s a life skill, not a hobby Confident that his lifeqguard train ing will serve him well in his still undetermined future career one that‘ll hopefully involve working with the public Curley said his job is more about prevention and problemâ€"solving than rescues It‘s about being aware of the ratio (of swimmers in pool), making sure kids don‘t wander off and asking questions when there‘s an isSue . (with kids arguing of fighting) ."?‘Y _ Those efforts may not reap as mu« h m M $ praise as a lite andâ€"death scenario but don‘t go ompletely unnoticed $ m %& t acknowledged either It‘s not often, but some P rents will come up and offter their thanks and ve c $ say you handled that itual well £ aid Curley. "Its uplifting when you 4 | feel like you hear that ai ve done a 1)1»11(1 |H[.