Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Interview with Mieszko Szymeczko C-Founder and General Manager of Baltic Rescue.
8 Plays2 months ago
Mieszko Szymeczko is the general manager and one of the founders of Baltic Rescue, a Lifeguard Association established in 2020 on the initiative of Polish Lifeguards. The aim of the organization being to promote lifeguarding in Poland and around the world. He has been a passionate lifeguard since 2009, a diving instructor, jet ski operator, and also a swimming instructor. He has worked all over the world, Poland, the USA, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Bulgaria, and New Zealand and for him, lifesaving isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life and a mission that he carries out on beaches around the world.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Live, Learn, Survive Podcast
00:00:08
Speaker
G'day, I'm Trent Maxwell.
00:00:10
Speaker
And I'm Lee Mason.
00:00:11
Speaker
We want to welcome you to our Live, Learn, Survive podcast.
00:00:13
Speaker
Since 2018, Lee and I have traveled the globe and met face-to-face over 36,500 children in six countries across three continents.
00:00:20
Speaker
We created a series of award-winning children's books, a global online education program, and the founders of the Live, Learn, Survive charity, all focused on teaching children and young adults life skills that will not only help themselves, but help others too.
00:00:30
Speaker
We're on a mission to spread awareness about fire, water and first aid education to inspire the next generation of first responders.
00:00:36
Speaker
So join us for the next half an hour with some fun, inspiration and kindness and we'll try and learn something too.
Introduction to Guest: Mieszko from Baltic Rescue
00:00:41
Speaker
How are you this week, Lee?
00:00:42
Speaker
Welcome aboard.
00:00:44
Speaker
Maxie, I am good.
00:00:46
Speaker
How are you?
00:00:47
Speaker
And for the YouTube people, you're outdoors today.
00:00:50
Speaker
Yes, we're outdoors.
00:00:51
Speaker
We're actually at the back of the Bondi Pavilion and we've got a special guest with us today.
00:00:55
Speaker
One of our favourite days.
00:00:57
Speaker
Yeah, it's going to be a really good chat.
00:00:59
Speaker
Look forward to speaking to Mishko.
00:01:02
Speaker
Mishko.
00:01:03
Speaker
Mishko, yeah.
00:01:05
Speaker
And Leigh, do you want to introduce Mishko the correct way?
00:01:09
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:01:10
Speaker
I am proud to do the intro.
00:01:12
Speaker
So,
00:01:13
Speaker
Maxie, today, as I said, one of our favorite days, we are welcomed and joined by
00:01:20
Speaker
I'm going to try and really get this right for
Journey and Development of Baltic Rescue
00:01:22
Speaker
him.
00:01:22
Speaker
Mieszko.
00:01:24
Speaker
So he is the general manager and one of the founders of Baltic Rescue, which we have spoken about before.
00:01:30
Speaker
A lifeguard association established in 2020 on the initiative of Polish lifeguards.
00:01:37
Speaker
The aim of the organization being to promote lifeguarding in Poland and around the world.
00:01:42
Speaker
Incredible work these guys do.
00:01:44
Speaker
So Mieszko is a passionate lifeguard, has been since 2009.
00:01:48
Speaker
He's a diving instructor, a jet ski operator, and also a swimming instructor.
00:01:55
Speaker
He's worked all over the world, Poland, the USA, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Bulgaria, and New Zealand.
00:02:02
Speaker
And for him, life-saving and lifeguarding isn't just a job.
00:02:06
Speaker
It's a way of life that he carries with him as he goes around beaches all around the world.
00:02:11
Speaker
So Mieszko,
00:02:12
Speaker
It is absolutely our pleasure and honor, Mishko.
00:02:15
Speaker
Welcome.
00:02:16
Speaker
And I am so sorry.
00:02:18
Speaker
Welcome everybody.
00:02:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:02:21
Speaker
Welcome everybody.
00:02:22
Speaker
Thanks for having me here and let's have some podcasts.
00:02:25
Speaker
Yeah.
00:02:26
Speaker
It's just for the record for everyone at home.
00:02:28
Speaker
This is his first podcast in English.
00:02:30
Speaker
So, you know, not only you're in a different country,
00:02:34
Speaker
We're doing a podcast in a different language that you usually don't speak.
00:02:38
Speaker
So that's off to you to understand and listen.
00:02:40
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:02:42
Speaker
So for all those people that are listening and, you know, maybe not brave enough to do their first.
00:02:47
Speaker
have a go at doing your first in a second language.
00:02:50
Speaker
So massive respect.
00:02:52
Speaker
And as we said, this is your time to shine the light on the work that you do.
00:02:57
Speaker
So shall I roll into question one?
00:03:00
Speaker
Yeah, roll in, Lee.
00:03:01
Speaker
First question.
00:03:02
Speaker
So you're involved in one of the founders of Baltic Rescue.
00:03:07
Speaker
What is your role within it?
00:03:09
Speaker
And tell us more about it.
Evolution and Training in Polish Lifeguarding
00:03:11
Speaker
So like you mentioned before, Baltic Rescutes Polish Lifeguarding Association established 2020.
00:03:20
Speaker
Our main goal is to reduce the drowning around the world, especially in Poland by training high qualified lifeguards, educate the public and provide first aid courses.
00:03:35
Speaker
We also trying to develop like network connection between the lifeguard association around the world.
00:03:42
Speaker
and help our members to get the work abroad.
00:03:46
Speaker
Amazing.
00:03:47
Speaker
Incredible.
00:03:50
Speaker
We've been so fortunate to now speak to you, but around this time last year, we spoke to Rob, who is your co-founder as well.
00:03:57
Speaker
And Rob had a brilliant interview
00:04:00
Speaker
And I'm sure you can have a competition to see if he takes out the best podcast.
00:04:06
Speaker
But you guys are doing amazing work.
00:04:09
Speaker
And Rob's a really good friend of ours now from Keeping In Touch.
00:04:13
Speaker
And I'm sure you'll be on the same page.
00:04:16
Speaker
Yes, Rob is a great friend, great business partner.
00:04:22
Speaker
And my role in the Baltic Rescue Team, actually I'm a general manager.
00:04:27
Speaker
So I can say I'm a little bit involved with everything, but my main responsibility, it's like recrutation process, onboarding process, and also help the lifeguards to be in touch with our partners.
00:04:42
Speaker
When I'm in Poland, I'm responsible for the lifeguards training.
00:04:47
Speaker
just to prepare them before they're going to work abroad just to make everything smooth.
00:04:52
Speaker
Amazing.
00:04:54
Speaker
And was, was the, just going off track a little bit before you founded it in 2020, was it, what was the need that you started it for?
00:05:03
Speaker
What was the, what was lifeguarding like in Poland before you started Baltic Rescue?
00:05:10
Speaker
Basically,
00:05:12
Speaker
The lifeguarding in Poland a little bit is changing now.
00:05:16
Speaker
When I'm going back to the days, I remember like we didn't have any jet skis, any quads, any drones.
00:05:25
Speaker
We've been carrying everything on our back.
00:05:28
Speaker
Right now it's way better than it was before.
00:05:31
Speaker
Most of the beaches, they have jet ski quads, even drones.
00:05:37
Speaker
So yeah, lifeguarding in Poland, it's changed a lot, but it also has to be changed a lot, especially with the low regulation.
00:05:45
Speaker
It's constantly changing.
00:05:47
Speaker
Yeah, like the training and fitness test before the summer is going to start.
00:05:52
Speaker
So we're trying to force that and I believe step by step and slow we can do this to just increase the level of lifeguarding in Poland.
00:06:04
Speaker
Yeah, that's those, what do we call them?
00:06:06
Speaker
I see those 1%, the 1% better like every day.
00:06:10
Speaker
1% better every day and if it's not one thing, you achieve one thing and then there's something else, you just got to keep chipping away.
00:06:18
Speaker
It's never ending and it's never a dull moment, but you know you're going in the right direction and you're creating a path for future lifeguards in Poland and around Europe to be able to pick up where you guys might leave the situation and then they can just keep going and take it to another level.
00:06:36
Speaker
It's all about giving back and legacy and you guys are doing a great job with that.
00:06:40
Speaker
It's awesome to see what Baltic Rescue have done.
00:06:43
Speaker
in the last couple of years.
00:06:44
Speaker
Yeah, if I can add something, I think like what we changed by establishing Baltic Rescue, I think there is like more information about the lifeguarding in social media.
00:06:56
Speaker
So I'm going to say like we start to creating like real content on Instagram, on YouTube and then in other agencies
00:07:08
Speaker
I can say they follow us, but it's like the good following.
00:07:12
Speaker
They can spread more knowledge and more information about the lifeguarding, which is really cool.
00:07:17
Speaker
It's awesome.
00:07:18
Speaker
Amazing.
00:07:19
Speaker
Incredible.
00:07:20
Speaker
Mate, I'm going to skip question two because we kind of covered that in your bio.
00:07:25
Speaker
But how many lifeguard services have you worked for?
00:07:28
Speaker
And I know after here you're going back to a certain country.
00:07:33
Speaker
So you want to explain that?
International Lifeguarding Experience and Fitness
00:07:34
Speaker
So I started 2009.
00:07:37
Speaker
working as a junior lifeguard and after 10 years working in Poland I decided to try something new, something different.
00:07:46
Speaker
So I decided to work in the US.
00:07:49
Speaker
Then after a few years I worked in Bulgaria.
00:07:53
Speaker
In 2022 we went with my friend Robert to work as a volunteer lifeguard in Costa Rica.
00:08:01
Speaker
That was once 2022.
00:08:04
Speaker
2023 I repeat the same.
00:08:06
Speaker
I work in States, then I work in Costa Rica and I went to work in Nicaragua for Niko Hard Week.
00:08:13
Speaker
There is a foundation, there is some lifeguards at the beach.
00:08:18
Speaker
And this year I've been working in New Zealand.
00:08:22
Speaker
Also, I had really short episode in Germany and...
00:08:28
Speaker
and columbia so in general i was counting yesterday so uh since i worked as a lifeguard i've been working in 18 different 18 different beaches that's amazing universal lifeguard universal lifeguard it's pretty cool yeah yeah it's such a pleasure to work around of the world and gain experience and develop myself
00:08:51
Speaker
as the lifeguard and also follow the good practice.
00:08:57
Speaker
All the good stuff across all the 18 different beaches and you can implement your own systems in place for Baltic rescue and future.
00:09:07
Speaker
So with all of those different lifeguard services
00:09:13
Speaker
What sort of training do you, is there a common theme of training amongst all those different services or have you seen lots of differences?
00:09:24
Speaker
So let's start from the states.
00:09:26
Speaker
So basically the first thing is that the new lifeguards or candidates, they need to send to the Baltic rescue 500 meters swim in the pool under 10 minutes.
00:09:37
Speaker
It's the first requirement.
00:09:39
Speaker
and then after that they need to pass the test on the pool whenever they're gonna come and there is like three days of training which is called like a surf school so there is a beach part of the training like running, swimming, entering, spinal injuries
00:09:58
Speaker
etc., which is important for the beach lifeguards.
00:10:02
Speaker
To work in Costa Rica, you already have to be a certified lifeguard.
00:10:06
Speaker
There is also some recruitment like 50 meters, 100 meters, 500 meters.
00:10:13
Speaker
To work in New Zealand, there is like 400 meters under 7 minutes 30 seconds and 3 kilometers run under 20 minutes.
00:10:24
Speaker
It's pretty solid.
00:10:28
Speaker
Basically in Poland there is also like 400 meters but under 8 minutes.
00:10:33
Speaker
So different country, different requirements but first it's like a physical test and then they train you if you show up and it's like additional training.
00:10:44
Speaker
Adding on to that with the sort of training, because you're constantly moving and traveling, do you have a set in transitions to different countries, do you have your set training that you do to make sure that you stay fit and healthy?
00:10:59
Speaker
Basically, I'm trying to train every day.
00:11:01
Speaker
Even it's like short training, just taking the rescue board, go for a small paddling, or I'm doing like run-swing-run, I can go to the gym.
00:11:12
Speaker
So...
00:11:13
Speaker
Basically for me lifeguarding it's a lifestyle and no one needs to push me to train because I'm aware that I have to be ready to get rescue and if I want to travel and I want to work in different countries I'm aware that I represent Baltic Rescue and I represent Polish lifeguard so I want to be on top of the game.
00:11:35
Speaker
with my fitness.
00:11:36
Speaker
Well, I did see you with your shirt off out the front of the promenade, mate.
00:11:39
Speaker
You're hard to spot.
00:11:41
Speaker
You're looking pretty good.
00:11:43
Speaker
You're looking pretty fit.
00:11:44
Speaker
So you could definitely... You might be... Your afternoon might be sorted.
00:11:49
Speaker
You could be on the team with Maxie.
00:11:51
Speaker
He's off to work.
00:11:51
Speaker
Yeah, coming to you this afternoon, mate.
00:11:53
Speaker
Exactly.
00:11:54
Speaker
It's been a swell out there today, actually.
00:11:55
Speaker
Yeah, it's a bit busy.
00:11:56
Speaker
So... Yeah.
00:11:59
Speaker
Do you have a lifeguard story that you could share with us from your travels?
00:12:04
Speaker
Yeah.
Challenges and Rewards of Lifeguarding
00:12:05
Speaker
So since I travel and work as a lifeguard with many stories, but I'm going to say about my craziest 15 minutes in my lifeguarding career.
00:12:15
Speaker
Oh, we love to hear this.
00:12:18
Speaker
19 in America.
00:12:21
Speaker
After hours, we've been patrolling with my friends, the beach, just to make sure like everyone is safe.
00:12:27
Speaker
Then we saw like two people drifting straight to the, to the pier.
00:12:32
Speaker
So I jumped to the water, I made a rescue and everything was okay.
00:12:36
Speaker
I didn't even wear my t-shirt and then we received a radio call that was CPR a few hundred meters behind us.
00:12:44
Speaker
There's an unconscious person in the water.
00:12:47
Speaker
So we drove there.
00:12:49
Speaker
We started the CPR and the firefighters, they just came to us for the support and during that time, some random woman, she just came to us and she was screaming, hey guys, there is another CPR, someone drowned over there.
00:13:05
Speaker
So, during the evacuation, it was another CPR.
00:13:11
Speaker
And we just came to that place.
00:13:13
Speaker
It was another CPR.
00:13:15
Speaker
We started the CPR.
00:13:17
Speaker
First patient on the CPR, he didn't survive because it was a heart attack.
00:13:22
Speaker
and now they are survived, but it was like 10-15 minutes, like three rescues with double CPR.
00:13:30
Speaker
Sounds like a day at Bondi.
00:13:33
Speaker
But yeah, that's crazy.
00:13:34
Speaker
There hasn't been many double drownings on the beach at the same time, especially here.
00:13:39
Speaker
So the fact that that was all going off at the same time, I can only imagine what your spanner control and your critical factors were.
00:13:46
Speaker
Yeah.
00:13:48
Speaker
Everything kind of goes out the window.
00:13:49
Speaker
Yeah, like the first day, like oxygen, everything, it's not even ready to start another restaurant.
00:13:55
Speaker
Yeah, same as if your defib is used with another patient, then you have to either go get another defib or take it off that patient.
00:14:00
Speaker
Yeah, like, that's crazy, man.
00:14:02
Speaker
That's a crazy story.
00:14:04
Speaker
Wow, wow, wow.
00:14:06
Speaker
You know what?
00:14:07
Speaker
You just said something as well that I hear you say so many times, Maxi, after hours.
00:14:13
Speaker
After hours, yeah.
00:14:14
Speaker
In summer gear, right up into autumn, before winter, you know, we get late rescues here after 7pm and then in winter after 5pm.
00:14:23
Speaker
A lot of people do get into trouble.
00:14:24
Speaker
So, you know, crazy.
00:14:26
Speaker
Two resuscitations, two drownings after hours goes to show that, you know, do not swim after the patrol beaches are closed.
00:14:33
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:14:34
Speaker
And also, make sure you know your swimming abilities and limits.
00:14:37
Speaker
Do not go on the water around dust time.
00:14:40
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:40
Speaker
Or even dawn, you know, before the lifeguards get there because...
00:14:43
Speaker
Drownings do happen and a bit to say there's a heart attack, that's sometimes a medical episode you can't control.
00:14:49
Speaker
But actually rescues were drownings, you can control that by you as an individual not going into the water if you're not a strong swimmer, you don't understand the currents and you need to watch the water.
00:15:00
Speaker
Yes, sir.
00:15:00
Speaker
I agree with that.
00:15:02
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:15:03
Speaker
So just taking you a little bit back towards, you know, before you started on this career, did you know what you wanted to do and did you get good career advice at school?
00:15:16
Speaker
Actually...
00:15:18
Speaker
I have a degree, my engineer and master as a logistic and transfer manager, which is completely different that I'm doing right now.
00:15:27
Speaker
I was going to say, you know, you could be organizing beach logistics, but, you know, that's slightly different.
00:15:35
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:36
Speaker
Yeah, but I get to the point that I ask myself a question.
00:15:41
Speaker
Do I want to work from the desk or I want to work at the beach, fill the
00:15:47
Speaker
feel the sun on my skin, help the people.
00:15:50
Speaker
Maybe lifeguarding is not the best paid job, but for sure it's really rewarding job.
00:15:56
Speaker
And it keeps me in shape.
00:15:59
Speaker
I have great friends as the lifeguards.
00:16:02
Speaker
And I'm more happy with being at the beach, helping people, than working from the desk.
00:16:08
Speaker
Even I can be less.
00:16:10
Speaker
I can make less money.
00:16:13
Speaker
And the good thing with that is for now, you're young, you're fit.
00:16:17
Speaker
Obviously, over time, things change, but then you could always fall back on what your degree is and or turn Baltic Rescue, which it is, into this mega machine where the operations manager making sure that the whole thing's going well and the skills you learn from your degree, you could take into Baltic Rescue and...
00:16:38
Speaker
You can do the desk job for Baltic Rescue.
00:16:40
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:41
Speaker
Basically, yeah.
00:16:42
Speaker
After hours at the beach, I'm opening up my computer and just taking care about everything.
00:16:48
Speaker
Like, Robert, he's doing absolutely amazing job, but he's also neat me and... Yeah, you both need each other.
00:16:55
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:56
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:57
Speaker
Amazing.
00:16:58
Speaker
Best piece of advice you've been given?
00:17:02
Speaker
During my lifeguarding career?
00:17:04
Speaker
It could be lifeguarding career, it could be for life, it could be anything.
00:17:09
Speaker
Okay, so the best lifeguarding advice, it was from one of my friends.
00:17:13
Speaker
He said to me like, what is the difference between the lifeguard and the random person?
00:17:20
Speaker
And he said like, the difference between us as a lifeguard and the random people is that we have to stay calm, even in the situation it's really bad.
00:17:31
Speaker
And we have to be focused on the things that we can control in that critical moment.
00:17:38
Speaker
And we need to do our best to solve the problem.
00:17:41
Speaker
100%.
00:17:42
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:42
Speaker
Yeah, that's good advice.
00:17:44
Speaker
Where was that from?
00:17:45
Speaker
It was from Poland.
00:17:46
Speaker
One of my first mentors, he was a really tough dude, training twice a day, preparing himself to become a lifeguarding instructor.
00:17:55
Speaker
And he was like,
00:17:57
Speaker
Yeah, you can be a good swimmer about the lifeguarding.
00:17:59
Speaker
It's a little bit more than just swimming.
00:18:01
Speaker
It's not just swimming and being the best ballpark, right?
00:18:04
Speaker
It's actually understanding, having situational awareness, knowing the job and being patient because it's not always people are drowning, not always people are doing silly things.
00:18:14
Speaker
Sometimes there is a lot of sitting around.
00:18:16
Speaker
I spend a lot of hours on this beach, even Bondi.
00:18:18
Speaker
It's a busy beach, but I spend a lot of time just looking at the horizon, making sure that everyone's safe and
00:18:23
Speaker
You have days where nothing happens and that's great because, you know, everyone goes home safe and well.
00:18:28
Speaker
And same at the fire station, you have your good and bad days.
00:18:31
Speaker
But, yeah, it's important to have that patience as well.
00:18:34
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:36
Speaker
Incredible, incredible.
00:18:37
Speaker
So, like, you know, lifeguarding, you know, it's a stressful, it can be a stressful job.
00:18:44
Speaker
What has been the most stressful part of the journey so far
Navigating Lifeguarding Logistics and Stress
00:18:48
Speaker
for you?
00:18:48
Speaker
Maybe lifeguarding or even starting Baltic Rescue, what's been the stressful part for you?
00:18:55
Speaker
Besides when the days are crazy and it's like big waves, strong currents and it's full people on the beach, I guess the most stressful part so far is get the visa and get permission to work abroad.
00:19:12
Speaker
For me, for our members, you just apply, you just pay for visa and you did everything correct and there is always a small chance that you're not gonna get visa.
00:19:26
Speaker
you know your plan it's not gonna happen so that's that's the most stressful part and for me and for the people who i talk yeah and he's working abroad um an important part for you how long is your season in the in in your in poland at the beaches what is it so is does is the length of your season make the
00:19:50
Speaker
the ability to be able to work abroad a key part of choosing lifeguardian as a career is that why it's so important to work abroad?
00:20:00
Speaker
So basically the summer in Poland is just two, two and a half months start in July
00:20:09
Speaker
and two months and like half of the summer it's like really cold and rain half of the summer it's it's a good weather basically the last time when i was working in poland was 2018 so long time ago but it will be nice to back to the polish coast as a baltic rescue team to have our own beach service yeah
00:20:35
Speaker
So you're learning all these skills elsewhere as well around the world to bring them back to your summer season to help improve lifeguarding in Poland.
00:20:48
Speaker
So inspirational.
00:20:49
Speaker
That's the goal, to gain experience, to gain best practice and just put into life on the Polish coast.
00:20:58
Speaker
Amazing.
00:20:59
Speaker
Incredible.
00:21:00
Speaker
You're doing some great stuff you and Rob and what's a great thing?
00:21:04
Speaker
Visas should not be a stress, should they, when you're going to do that for that, you know, it's just like, you know, stamp the passport, people.
00:21:11
Speaker
Yeah, stamp it.
00:21:12
Speaker
You don't need to get these people in.
00:21:13
Speaker
It's the community.
00:21:14
Speaker
Exactly.
00:21:14
Speaker
Exactly.
00:21:16
Speaker
Talking about stress, how do you deal with stress?
00:21:19
Speaker
If you have a stressful day at work or in your personal life, how do you deal with that stress?
00:21:23
Speaker
What do you do?
00:21:25
Speaker
Since this year, I'm always starting my day to do a breath exercise.
00:21:31
Speaker
Wim Hof?
00:21:32
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:33
Speaker
It's like 30 breaths, then break, 30 breaths, break.
00:21:37
Speaker
And I'm repeating this like three times.
00:21:39
Speaker
And then I'm doing small meditation.
00:21:41
Speaker
So actually it's a good setup for me to prepare myself mentally to being capable with the stress.
00:21:50
Speaker
Whenever I start to work, I'm always checking everything, starting with the first aid, starting with checking my ATV, checking all of the gears just to make sure I know where it's everything and everything works.
00:22:05
Speaker
Whenever we have like,
00:22:07
Speaker
stressful day, a lot of rescues or someone just gonna drown.
00:22:12
Speaker
We're doing like cold debriefing meeting.
00:22:16
Speaker
So everyone just can say like how long is the day or rescue with his perspective, what we've done, what we can maybe improve for the future.
00:22:29
Speaker
And I guess it's really work when you have good people
00:22:34
Speaker
and you can share your emotions in the team and also since this year we have cooperation with psychologists so everywhere I've got from Baltic Rescue can call for the special doctor and discuss, have a chat like what's happened and how to handle that situation.
00:23:00
Speaker
That's amazing.
00:23:01
Speaker
That's fantastic.
00:23:03
Speaker
It's so important to implement those things because you don't know something that might affect someone in the team.
00:23:09
Speaker
It might not affect you or Rob or anyone else, but it's important that everyone knows that they can get help when they need it.
00:23:17
Speaker
And it's a safe place too.
00:23:19
Speaker
So if you are not feeling 100% talking about it, getting help, it's so important.
00:23:25
Speaker
I know in America, in Australia, in New Zealand, they do a lot of competitions.
00:23:31
Speaker
And I know you do some competitions in Poland as well.
00:23:34
Speaker
Do you do any life-saving competitions?
00:23:37
Speaker
If so, how often?
00:23:39
Speaker
Yes, I was doing the competition in the past and doing the regional competition in Poland.
00:23:45
Speaker
Also, I've been a few times in the national championships in Poland, but basically in Poland, it's like twice during the summer, some competitions.
00:23:56
Speaker
So it's not that much like you guys have here in Australia and New Zealand.
00:24:01
Speaker
We've been also a few times in Bulgaria on the competition with the local loveguards.
00:24:06
Speaker
It was really good.
00:24:08
Speaker
We feel there like at home.
00:24:09
Speaker
Always great atmosphere, good racing, great athletes.
00:24:14
Speaker
So yeah, that's all of my history about the competition.
00:24:19
Speaker
And in America do they do a lot of competition as well?
00:24:22
Speaker
They do, but the agencies, what we've been working, they've been working under American Red Cross.
00:24:29
Speaker
Most of the competitions, they are from United Life Saving Association.
00:24:34
Speaker
So probably in this year, we're going to work for the new beach service and it's going to be possible for our members to join the competition in the US.
00:24:43
Speaker
Cool.
00:24:44
Speaker
Amazing, amazing.
00:24:46
Speaker
So lifeguarding, you know, it's very obviously this is a big, huge part of your life.
00:24:52
Speaker
Do you have time, any other hobbies, anything else that you like to do?
Balancing Lifeguarding with Personal Interests
00:24:57
Speaker
Yes, lifeguarding, it's basically taking 80% of my time.
00:25:03
Speaker
About my hobbies, I really love the nature.
00:25:07
Speaker
So whenever I have a chance to go to do some hike, to go to the mountains,
00:25:13
Speaker
I really love to do.
00:25:14
Speaker
My second passion is scuba diving.
00:25:17
Speaker
So I really love to.
00:25:19
Speaker
I realized my dream a few years ago.
00:25:22
Speaker
I went to Egypt to do a dive on the coral reef.
00:25:26
Speaker
And I can say about myself that I'm pretty handy.
00:25:30
Speaker
And in this year, when I was in New Zealand, I built all my self-containment car.
00:25:37
Speaker
And it was really cool.
00:25:39
Speaker
Awesome.
00:25:40
Speaker
Amazing.
00:25:41
Speaker
Have you got any plans to do any scuba diving while you're in Australia?
00:25:47
Speaker
I guess it's too short time to do everything with you guys here.
00:25:52
Speaker
So basically I'm focused right now on Bondi Beach and I want to explore as much as I can this place.
00:25:59
Speaker
Maybe next year on the way back.
00:26:02
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:03
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:04
Speaker
Well, what I was going to say with that, if it's your first trip to Australia,
00:26:08
Speaker
it's never ever your last because it gets in your blood and I can tell you that like, you know, you'll be back.
00:26:14
Speaker
And if you want to see every bit of Bondi, there's the perfect man that will show you.
00:26:18
Speaker
No one knows Bondi like him.
00:26:20
Speaker
So there you go.
00:26:20
Speaker
That's like, you know, that's, uh, I'll be able to show you a couple of bits and pieces.
00:26:27
Speaker
Amazing.
00:26:28
Speaker
Amazing.
00:26:29
Speaker
So, um, yeah.
00:26:30
Speaker
Next to you, Maxie.
00:26:32
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:32
Speaker
Oh, Lee.
00:26:33
Speaker
Um,
00:26:35
Speaker
I've just got to hear next career goal.
00:26:37
Speaker
You mentioned that you've got a fair bit going on with Baltic Rescue, but is there any next career within Baltic Rescue or things that you want to do to keep raising the bar?
Future Ambitions and Advice to Younger Self
00:26:48
Speaker
Oh, yes.
00:26:49
Speaker
So I want to extend news about Baltic Rescue round of the world.
00:26:56
Speaker
My goal is to have more
00:26:59
Speaker
good lifeguards in the United States.
00:27:03
Speaker
In this year we're going to cooperate with two different agencies and I hope in the future it's going to be more of them.
00:27:11
Speaker
My personal goal in the future I would like to
00:27:16
Speaker
maybe try here myself in Australia, it will be possible to work as a lifeguard.
00:27:21
Speaker
I would love to work in the UK, maybe west coast of the United States, maybe South Africa.
00:27:29
Speaker
And also in the future, I would love to...
00:27:33
Speaker
become a paramedic to raise my skills in the first eight services and that's pretty much all it's cool man that's a good good list there's a fair few career decisions and goals there i was gonna say that's a pretty comprehensive list and it's so often you've you know we've said it so many times maxi lifeguarding led you to firefighting
00:27:56
Speaker
you know lifeguarding take you to like so it opens so many opportunities so um you know being a paramedic amazing write your goals down and you watch them just tick them off as you go through it's it's it's a pretty cool thing absolutely so you may have just answered this but there may be something else if you weren't a lifeguard what do you think you would be oh that's a really hard question um
00:28:26
Speaker
I think I really enjoy to work as a first responder.
00:28:31
Speaker
So being a paramedic, firefighter, maybe a soldier, because I already did some military training also in Poland.
00:28:40
Speaker
It will be super cool, but basically I don't think so I will enjoy that while enjoying to work at the beach.
00:28:53
Speaker
Maybe that goal of becoming a paramedic one day when you're happy to get off the beach just a little bit, you can use those skills that you've learned from all over the world and help your local community wherever you decide to rest up and spend the rest of your days.
00:29:05
Speaker
We're nearly at the end, mate.
00:29:09
Speaker
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
00:29:12
Speaker
So if you're in front of you at 16, what are you telling them?
00:29:19
Speaker
Great things.
00:29:20
Speaker
takes time find the right people leave the comfort zone and just believe in yourself great words that sums it all up perfectly many of the things that we speak about many many times and I think if you keep those at the front of your mind you're never going to go far off
00:29:51
Speaker
Yeah, so important, man.
00:29:53
Speaker
It's been great.
00:29:53
Speaker
And Leigh, do you want to finish off the… Yeah, so what we have is a playlist.
00:29:59
Speaker
So we've got a Live, Learn, Survive playlist on Spotify and every guest that comes along, we ask them to give them their upbeat song, you know, like you're just going to go for a run or you just put a bit of music on and you just know it's going to lift your mood.
00:30:15
Speaker
What would you like to add to our playlist so that we can share it with all the other songs that are around the world?
00:30:22
Speaker
Rob's is in there.
00:30:23
Speaker
So tell us what it is.
00:30:26
Speaker
And unfortunately, we can't play them anymore because the YouTube people don't like us.
00:30:32
Speaker
But, you know, we get in trouble with the YouTube people.
00:30:35
Speaker
But tell us the song and we'll make sure it's added to the list.
00:30:39
Speaker
This song is actually from New Zealand.
00:30:45
Speaker
This song doesn't have any words, but it's great background.
00:30:48
Speaker
And we've been listening this song during our patrol.
00:30:54
Speaker
The name of the song is Soul Miner.
00:30:56
Speaker
Soul Miner.
00:30:58
Speaker
Soul Miner.
00:30:59
Speaker
And who is the artist?
00:31:01
Speaker
There we go.
00:31:01
Speaker
Tommy Guerrero.
00:31:04
Speaker
That's adding to that right now, mate.
00:31:06
Speaker
There we go.
00:31:07
Speaker
Happy days.
00:31:09
Speaker
Yeah, you can listen to the Live, Learn, Survive Spotify playlist and you can have that song in there.
00:31:14
Speaker
I occasionally put it on in the fire truck.
00:31:16
Speaker
I occasionally put it on when I'm doing road trips or going to school talks.
00:31:21
Speaker
It's always chill.
00:31:22
Speaker
It's always upbeat.
00:31:24
Speaker
And, you know, occasionally you get some songs that are not English and not from...
00:31:29
Speaker
not from the generic genre of what we're used to around Australia and in other parts of the world.
00:31:35
Speaker
So it's cool to listen and have a bit of a dance and a bit of a good vibe.
00:31:39
Speaker
Exactly.
00:31:43
Speaker
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
00:31:45
Speaker
This is your platform to share.
00:31:48
Speaker
Anything else that you would like to say that we can, you know, the floor is yours.
00:31:53
Speaker
Okay, so first of all, I want to say thank you guys for having me here.
00:31:57
Speaker
You guys do an absolutely amazing job because I'm saying like we prevent the drowning by education.
00:32:06
Speaker
Whenever we're going to start early, that's the first step of saving people by education.
00:32:13
Speaker
It's been a honor for me to be here, especially after my friend Robert.
00:32:19
Speaker
I want to say for the people who is going to listen us and watch us that there is a Polish lifeguarding association and if someone is interesting to find a job abroad, we're going to do our best to help you guys to connect with our partners.
00:32:38
Speaker
And in the end, I want to send greetings for all of the Santa Teresa lifeguards.
00:32:46
Speaker
Nika Heartbeat, KNG servers from the guards who I work in New Zealand.
00:32:53
Speaker
And special thanks for my dear friend Robert, who was first here, who met you guys, and he actually created that relation.
00:33:03
Speaker
And the last wish, what I want to say, it will be super cool to see you guys one day in Poland.
00:33:10
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:33:12
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:33:14
Speaker
We have, it's framed in the office, I just moved office, but it's framed in the office our certificate of our collaboration that Robert sent to us.
00:33:23
Speaker
So it is absolutely, the pleasure is all ours.
00:33:27
Speaker
And, you know, what I think is so cool that we couldn't be further apart, but
00:33:35
Speaker
We always cheer each other on and for the greater good, which is ultimately keeping people safe.
00:33:40
Speaker
So I am absolutely thrilled that you have got to meet Maxi and be in Bondi, which I know is iconic for any lifeguard all around the world.
00:33:49
Speaker
So thanks for hunting us down and making this happen.
00:33:53
Speaker
We are really, really grateful.
00:33:56
Speaker
Thank you for your time mate.
00:33:58
Speaker
Thank you.
00:33:59
Speaker
No worries.
00:33:59
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:34:00
Speaker
I'm going to get a photo while we're all still on because this has just got to send it to Robert.
00:34:05
Speaker
So smile guys.
00:34:06
Speaker
Yay.
00:34:09
Speaker
And yeah, I think we wrap it up there because we don't need to be talking.
00:34:14
Speaker
You're on Bombay Beach Mishko.
00:34:16
Speaker
You need to be getting out there in the surf man.
00:34:19
Speaker
100%, 100%.
00:34:20
Speaker
Yeah, let's do it.
00:34:22
Speaker
I've got to get him that cam-am and buggies and boards to paddle and people to save.
00:34:28
Speaker
We'll get him out there.
00:34:30
Speaker
We'll get you out there.
00:34:32
Speaker
Nice to be here.
00:34:33
Speaker
Yeah, thank you.
00:34:37
Speaker
No worries.
00:34:37
Speaker
We'll see everyone soon.
00:34:39
Speaker
Thank you for listening.
00:34:41
Speaker
And, yeah, remember Baltic Rescue to follow more.
00:34:45
Speaker
So keep up the good work.
00:34:46
Speaker
We'll put the links on and everything to make sure that people follow you.
00:34:50
Speaker
So thank you for coming to Australia and safe onward travels.
00:34:55
Speaker
I sound like the flight captain, don't I?
00:34:57
Speaker
See you later, mate.
00:35:00
Speaker
See you guys.
00:35:01
Speaker
Take care, guys.
00:35:02
Speaker
See you later.
00:35:03
Speaker
Bye.