Half a lifeguard: A 14-year-old's journal of the Red Cross

Day twelve

Day twelve: 7/31

Duration: 0.65(0.2x2, 0.25x1)

I had cramps in the morning, and despite it went away quickly, my left calf still weakens and threatens to collapse when I put weight on it. Also the sore throat I've been having for days came back, and I can only hope it won't turn into a full-blown case of the flu, at least not today.

I rummaged under my bed and found out my lifeguard cap, T-shirt and pants from last year along with all my scuba diving equipment. That'll come in handy later in the open-water courses, but not now. Mom gave me her 2009 Red Cross textbook from when she's an emergency first-aid medic, and I took it gratefully. The test starts off at 8 a.m. sharp, and I'll have to be extra early if I want another revise.

Although it's only 7:40, almost every member of the team arrived, and the coaches were running them through test subjects for one last time. I suddenly remembered I don't have any problems, so I sat in a corner and read the textbook. Memories washed over instantly.

I was six or seven years old, and every time mom went to her courses, I tagged along. At first my sister came too, but gave up as she didn't listen to anything and thought it was just boring grown-up stuff. I talked to the students and even the coaches, and through mom's agreement, they carried out maneuvers on me every time there's a child victim in the textbook's examples. I still vividly remember the ceiling lights and the fan overhead as I lied down on makeshift stretchers or a piece of cloth before closing my eyes and feel what it's like to be "saved". I even dreamt about it, once or twice. 

I learned facts, statistics, theories and even parts of advanced CPR while attending the course and showed it off at school. Every adult that heard this exclaimed I'd be a successful doctor someday. At that age, I couldn't really see why knowing these can help me to become a doctor, but I went with them anyway.

I still flip through the pages of her textbook nonchalantly, sometimes when I'm bored, then it was put away a few years after. Now it reappeared in my hands, and I'm reading it, right here, right now, and at a lifeguard's course. I can't even express how nostalgic I am in just words.

The three examiners arrived, all of them aged and extremely stern. It turns out I didn't have to take the test at all – I was underage, and I only have to prove to the examiner I can execute the swimming methods and lifesaving procedures, not necessarily perfectly. The examiner that timed me reassured me that I don't have to be perfect, he'll be only be grading my posture, I can swim as slow as I want as long as I'm not stopping- then I took off like a missile and tied the fastest score with another person- 4:48. The passing grade was 6 minutes.

I proceeded to score full marks on CPR+AED, the Heimlich maneuver and the resting position. Every student almost gaped at me again, however the coaches and the examiners aren't even the least surprised. I successfully rescued a coach in practice and scored another full mark. The only subjects I didn't pass were 20 meters of swimming underwater and 25 meters of carrying a dummy(I swear, sometimes I want to drop-kick it right in its smiling face and sent it into orbit).

After the test, to my surprise mom showed up at the pool and brought drinks for everyone. The team had a small party, we played, raced and had loads of fun in general. We even went on the waterslide twice. 

I'll get my third license first thing tomorrow, and despite it's only a basic lifeguard license, I can hardly wait. We took a group photo together – the head coach seemed as weary and tired as usual, but significantly more relieved and happier. Then again, everyone was significantly more relieved and happier after the test. After the photo, everyone proceeded to shove each other into the pool. We all played for another moment, and we went home.

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Additional notes:

* Guys, before you think I have a privilege in order to get into the lifeguard courses, please, don't think of it that way. I repeat, everyone can learn how to save lives, and it's not for certain talented or athletic people only. Go enroll if there's a first-aid course that you know, you'll learn a lot of things.

* There is no Guinness world record for the youngest lifeguard because you have to be at least 18 to take the exam and get a license. I've read news articles before raving on and on about how a nine-year-old received training from the blah blah academy and got a license, and I say this is complete bull. Same with the record of youngest astronaut – the person only received training, she still can't go up to space because there's also an age limit for that.

* If there's anyone in Taiwan, here's the link to the foundation's website: 

www.tpewlsa.com.tw