Christchurch City Council Aquatic Supervisor Luke Parsons has today been named the New Zealand Recreation Association’s Lifeguard of the Year.
The 31-year-old, who works at the Council’s Jellie Park Recreation and Sport Centre, said he was “humbled” at receiving the award at the National Aquatics Conference in Queenstown.
Parsons has worked at Jellie Park since May 1996 and says it was good to receive recognition from his peers for the contribution he has made to life guarding during the last 14 years.
Growing up in Christchurch, he has “always been a bit of a water boy”, being a competitive swimmer from 1986 to 2000 and also working as a surf lifesaver during summer.
“Being lifeguard has enabled me to continue to be involved in water sports and through my work by at Jellie Park to stay involved in the industry and give something back.”
The Council’s Recreation and Sports Manager John Filsell says the calibre of the three finalists was extremely high.
“Luke has been outstanding in his work and a positive role model for an entire generation of lifeguards.”
