In October 2022, Mike Olsen and Bruce McNicoll nervously started their first day as lifeguards at Nepean Sportsplex after being retired for years.
Mike is 80 years old, and the Lifesaving Society recently confirmed that he is the oldest lifeguard in Ontario, and probably even Canada! His experience is full of achievements working the beaches in Australia as a waterfront lifeguard.
Bruce, a retired middle school teacher, recertified his lifeguarding qualification and returned to the pool deck. Bruce was a national level triathlete and began his lifeguarding experience back in the late 1970s with the City of Ottawa.
“It was daunting to go back to recertify as a lifeguard,” Bruce said. “I was apprehensive, but the City arranged an opportunity where adults could recertify with their peers. That made it a lot easier, and it made me quickly realize that age should not be a barrier.”
