A group of 10 MAGS students from Piha SLSC and Tairua SLSC were selected to attend an exchange with Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguards over the July school holidays.
The lifeguards who took part are William Grace, Justin Hemara, Troy Middleton, Ben Gregory, Molly Brittendan, Emily Cameron, Ella Gregory, Eva Williams, Kirsty Gage (all from Piha) and Ward Hope (Tairua).
The group of students fundraised and trained incredibly hard on top of their MAGS academic and sports commitments over the past 18 months.
Rajal Middleton, of Surf Life Saving New Zealand, said, “This is an educational and leadership development exchange and goes a long way to legacy building within the clubs and surf lifesaving. Huntington Beach hosts over 12 million visitors each year and undertakes on average 100 rescues each day! Our young guards were given an incredible learning opportunity, including shadowing senior Huntington Beach Surf Lifeguards.
“The Huntington itinerary was incredible and also included a formal presentation to Huntington Council and attendance at the opening of the Orange Coast College planetarium where the young kiwi lifeguards blessed the building with a karakia and performed a haka.”
Year 13 student Eva Williams said, “The exchange was an incredible, life-changing experience. Not only did we have fun learning about the differing processes used in rescues at Huntington Beach, but we also created strong bonds with all the American Junior Guards. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, we all feel like we have another home in California now! We are all counting down the days until our American friends travel to New Zealand and we get to give them a taste of our country and life as a guard at Piha and Tairua beaches, in December.”