Life-guarding is a pretty unique job - Fun, exciting, stressful and sometimes terrifying. We ask some of the Bondi Rescue team what drew them to the profession.

Aaron Buchan
"Had been around it for many years and it was only natural I would get involved at some stage. Good healthy career with great rewards."

Andrew 'Reidy' Reid
"The job looked fun and extremely rewarding."

Anthony Glick
"I’m at the beach every day so it just seemed like the right next step for me. I’m also friends with Harrison [Reid] from when we did the Lifeguard Academy together five years ago. It’s such a great group of guys, so I thought I’d give it a go."

Ben ‘Quiggers’ Quigley
"My dad was a lifeguard at Bondi for 30 years. I was bought up amongst the lifeguards and learnt the importance and respect for them and the job they do every day."

Christopher 'Chappo' Chapman
"My friends!"

Corey ‘Baggins' Oliver
"A love for the ocean, outdoors, and helping people."

Jethro James
"I’ve spent my life at the beach so it felt perfect for me."

Joel Bevilacqua
"I was on a plane to the Sunshine Coast two hours after my last Grade 12 exam, with no real plans. My brother had moved two years prior to chase his dream of being a professional ironman. I decided to follow him up just for a change of lifestyle and to possibly have a proper crack at ski paddling.

I lived in a backpacker’s for three weeks before Rhys Drury, the lifeguard supervisor, called offering me a job on the beach.

Whilst the ski paddling career didn’t quite pan out (my brother stole all the talent and now competes in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain series) doing surf life saving from such a young age, and gaining those qualifications required to be a lifeguard has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Lifeguarding has allowed me to move out of the backpackers and to stay and live on the Sunshine Coast, and it has now allowed me to live here in Sydney also.

I’ve made some great mates working on the beach on the Sunny Coast and I love the comradery and the people the job attracts. My roommate and lifeguard Jackson Doolan told me how great the service is at Bondi and it was something I wanted to get involved in once I moved here.

Lifeguarding at the beach is the best job in the world that’s given me a great life so far, hopefully I can get a few rescues under my belt this season and return the favour."

Juliana Bahr-Thomson
"I got into surfing so spent as much time as humanly possible at the beach practicing, I became friends with the local guards there and thought they had the best job in the world and wanted in on it so as I got older I began quizzing them on the job and how to go about becoming a lifeguard. In 2006 I got a job as a lifeguard with Lake Macquarie City Council and became their first female lifeguard."

Kailan 'KC' Collins
"Watching Baywatch!"

Max 'Maxy' Ayshford
"Harries was training me and asked if I wanted to do traineeship."

Michael 'Mouse' Jenkinson
"Being able to work with my friends."

Rod 'Kerrbox' Kerr
"Being a pro surfer. Comfortable in the ocean."

Ryan 'Whippet' Clarke
"The lifestyle - I spend so much time at the beach it seemed like a good idea to get paid for it!"

Ryan Yerbury
"The opportunity to help people, save lives and have Bondi Beach as my office every day."

Tommy Fraser
"Had a big brother like role model who always took me towing and was the biggest legend (he was a lifeguard)!"

Trent 'Singlets' Falson
"I was a lifeguard on Bondi from 1997 to 2002. After a 12-year break, I’m back for my seventh season."

Trent 'Maxi' Maxwell
"Ever since I was a kid I have been interested in helping other people and surfing. That is the best of both worlds."