WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
| A21
north shore news nsnews.com
Register Now!
Courses train swimmers to be lifeguards, instructors ROSALIND DUANE rduane@nsnews.com
Oksana Soychuke started taking swimming lessons when she was four years old.
Oksana Soychuke is a lifeguard at Ron Andrews Community Centre pool in North Vancouver. PHOTO PAUL MCGRATH
Now 20, and a student at Capilano University, Soychuke is a lifeguard and swim instructor at Ron Andrews Community Centre pool in North Vancouver. “I always just really loved the water and staying active,” she says of why she stayed in swimming lessons and decided to become a lifeguard. Family swims were a big part of her childhood, and she also swam competitively for about five years. Soychuke says she particularly likes the welcoming environment of the pool where she works. “I really like the people I’m surrounded with. The entire staff works together really well as a team and makes the environment just a really enjoyable place to come to work,” says Soychuke. “I also really like working with children during the swim lessons, seeing their growth and enjoyment.” Although she started swimming at a young age,
Soychuke didn’t consider becoming a lifeguard until she was 13. She looked up to the lifeguards and instructors she had while taking lessons, and was also inspired by the fact that both her mom and her uncle worked at Ron Andrews Community Centre when they were young. Once she started taking lifeguard courses, it took her about four years to complete them. She is now a lifeguard and instructor at the pool. There are a number of instructor and certification courses offered through North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission, including National Lifeguard Recertification, Water Safety, and more. Many of the courses have an age requirement, and Soychuke says that’s necessary to ensure participants have both the physical strength for the job and the emotional maturity to understand the responsibility attached to it. Soychuke says lifeguarding and instructing are suited to those with a positive and friendly personality who enjoy working with the public. Lifeguarding shifts can
be four to eight hours, with multiple guards on duty at the same time, and Soychuke explains it’s not a job where she just stands and watches people. She has to be ready to respond and react in an emergency. Soychuke has been working as a lifeguard
since she was 17 and has had two major emergencies on the job and a few off the job, mainly heat-related. Although it’s hard work, Soychuke says it is a rewarding field. “It’s definitely a very good job for a young person to have,” she notes.
North Shore Music Academy • piano • violin • cello • guitar • voice • flute • clarinet • saxophone • theory • Suzuki piano, violin & cello ukulele
REGISTER NOW 604-925-3403 Email: admin@nsma.ca St. David’s United Church www.nsma.ca 1525 Taylor Way, West Vancouver
EXPERIENCED GUITAR TEACHER Classical • Jazz & Rock Guitar Acoustic or Electric Also offering Ukulele lessons • Beginner to Advanced • Royal Conservatory Preparation and Jazz Band coaching available
Reasonable Rates
TONY CHOTEM 604-980-4336 email:tonychotem@shaw.ca www.tonychotem.com
North Shore Baseball Association proudly affiliated with BC (Minor) Baseball
AFK offers after school art classes for students K-7, everything from drawing and painting to jewellery making, woodworking and architecture. All classes are taught by trained art specialist educators. Please register online
www.gordonsmithgallery.ca 604.903.3798
REGISTRATION IS OPEN For boys & girls 4-24 years old from Deep Cove to Lions Bay.
northshorebaseball.ca @northshoreball
North Shore Baseball Association
Classes begin in early January