i have always been a very good swimmer - i could swim when i was four years old - and i love spending time at the beach. i knew i had to find a jod where i would spend a lot of time at the outside. One day i saw an advertisement in a magazine for people to train as lifeguards. They wanted people who were able to swim 400 meters in 8 minutes, who were very fit and who were quick to act in an emergency. i applied and was offered the chance to take the training course.