When I was a little girl, my parents took me to the beach a lot in the summertime. I used to love discovering the hidden creatures by low tide and building sand castles at high tide. Swimming has always been one of my favorite activities, especially because I took lessons once. I loved splashing in the water and even trying to swim on my own. However, my mom forbid me to ever go into water above my chest unless she or my dad was with me. But even if I did go in far or choke on water, there was always a hidden hawk watching me, prepared to make a daring choice to save my life. I never thought about those people because I was too young. I never thought about them until I decided to become one.
When I decided to become a lifeguard, I had no idea what to expect. I only vaguely remember taking swimming lessons at a beach when I was about 13. After they ended, my mom told me the instructor (who was a lifeguard too) had recommended me for a junior lifeguarding program. I decided to take it, not just because I wanted too, but both my parents were lifeguards. The next two summers I endured running long distances on the beach, swimming even longer distances, and getting familiar with the lifeguarding equipment.
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