What used to a young person's game now belongs to the seniors!
Pools have been having a tough time as of late finding young people to employ as lifeguards, though retired seniors are stepping up to the plate!
Michael Shields is one of the seniors who have started lifeguarding. He told Fox 9 in Minneapolis, "A lot of the grandparents they'll ask me well what am I doing here?"
Shields, like all other senior lifeguards, had to train and is prepared to jump into the water at a moment's notice.
He says, "We all have the same education. We all have to pass the same American Red Cross course, we have to take the same monthly in-service training through the YMCA so we sort of build respect for each other."
Shields is one of about 50 Senior lifeguards, most of whom signed up after retiring from their careers because of the pandemic. They all can swim 300 yards and can carry out a rescue if need be.
Shannon Kinstler with YMCA Aquatics says, "They can do everything the youngsters can do, and they have life experience, so they're usually very kind and gentle."
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