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26 - The O akville Beaver, Friday February 3, 2006 Aquatic leadership requires high degree of training When you meet Y Aquatic Head Guard Susan Andrew, you can't help but feel good afterwards. In her quiet, peaceful way, she offers a beautiful smile and positive light that just picks you up. Then, when you hear her story, and know what she has learned and mastered in a short period of time, and what physical and mental strength it must have taken, you give her your utmost respect. Susan started coming to the YMCA of Oakville when its new facility re-opened in 2003. As an avid climber, she busy teenagers, but Susan was committed to fitness and health and loved work ing with children and youth, so the Y really did make sense. One year later, Nancy Nunes, Y Aquatics Supervisor, approached Susan to expand her hori zons at the Y and become a swimming instructor. "I had always been a swimmer. I learned to swim in the ocean in Wales, where the salt water kept me afloat. "I had never taken any formal lessons beyond basic childhood courses, but I decided that I liked the idea of teaching little children to swim." A swimming instruction course at the Y confirmed for Susan that the Y pool was a good place to be. "It's really fun seeing the progression and how the children learn to swim. The biggest challenge is remem bering all those pre-school songs that my kids used to love - we make the lessons lots of fun." It was not long before Nancy recognized Susan's new-found love of the pool and suggested that she take Aquatic Leadership courses so that she could become a lifeguard as well as an instructor. Undaunted by the work ahead of her, Susan took on the challenge of first Bronze Medallion, and then Bronze Cross, Standard and Emergency First Aid, and finally NLS (National Lifeguard Service). To go from being a recre ational swimmer with no recent practice or training to towing a victim 24 metres in 40 seconds in less than two years is amazing to say the least. · With quarterly training and testing of her swim ming, first aid and emer gency reaction skills, Susan feels as if she is in better shape than she has ever been. "It has been a lot of work, but I have come to love the pool and swimming. I am always interacting with our members and talking to them and I really enjoy that." Susan encourages anyyi ic to become a lifeguard: "It's something that you can do at any age. You can be a younger lifeguard, or an older one, as long as you keep up your fitness and skills. A lifeguard is really a professional, and you have to show a high level of responsibility and maturity that you wouldn't need in many jobs." You would think that Susan has reached her goal, but now she is learning to teach the courses that she just learned, like Bronze Cross. , It's all proof that dedica tion, self-discipline and a positive spirit can help you to meet any challenge. The YMCA of Oakville offers Aquatic Leadership courses through the Lifesaving Society through out the year, and will offer Bronze Star (ages 10 to 13) and NLS (National Lifeguard, 16-plus years and proof of Bronze Cross and Standard First Aid) as March Break camps. For more information, visit the Web site www.ymcaofoakville.com, call the Y at 905-845-3417, or drop in to 410 Rebecca St. was drawn to a part-time position in the Y's new Climbing and Adventure Centre, which she combined with another part-time posi tion in Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation program. It seemed an unlikely spot for a mother of three Chinese New Year event to raise funds for 0TMH The Halton Region Chinese - Canadian Association (HRCCA) is cel ebrating the Chinese New Year with a fundraising din ner in support of the Oakville Hospital Foundation. The Cosmopolitan Night will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11. at the Summit Garden Restaurant, 3015 Winston Churchill Blvd., in Mississauga. This fun-filled cultural event .. will include a 12course authentic Chinese dinner, a live band, a tradi tional lion dance, karaoke challenge, silent auction and door prizes. Guests are encouraged to dress in traditional heritage costumes. Tickets for this event cost $55 for members, $65 for non-members, and $35 for children 12-years of age and under. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to the Emergency Department at the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). The HRCCA is a regis tered non-profit organiza tion dedicated to promoting cultural education, under standing and interaction between the Chinese com munity and the society-atlarge. Its goal is to identify the needs in the community and to support OTMH. For tickets and informa tion for this event call 905847-8023 or e-mail hrcca@hrcca.org. This event is one of the many community-run fundraising initiatives, which help the Oakville Hospital Foundation raise more than $3 million annu ally to support the essential capital equipment needs at OTMH. The Oakville Hospital Foundation raises funds for the OTMH site of Halton Healthcare Services. With community sup port, the Foundation works to ensure essential health care services and resources are available today for patients, community and staff and will be there tomorrow to meet the com munity's growing needs. A S w e e th e a r t o f a d e a l. W i n a $ 2 ,0 0 0 S h o p p i n g S p r e e ! When you purchase a limited edition Men of Dixie calendar for $20, you could win a $2,000 Dixie Outlet Mall shopping spree! What's not to love? Winning ticket to be drawn Friday, February 10, 5pm All proceeds go to the Credit Valley Hospital Foundation. C R E f> I T * V A t , L E Y T«£ V f t l iS Y w a S P lt A t 1250 South Service Road, M ississauga, ON Canada M onday to Friday 10:00am - 9:00pm Saturday 9:30am - 6:00pm · Sunday 12pm - 6:00pm w w w .d ix ie o u tle tm a ll.co m