Jackson, 23, grew up in Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He has always had a life based around the water and as a youngster won Australian medals for Surf Lifesaving.

DOB: March 6, 1994.

Relationship status? I have a girlfriend.

Tell us about your training and experience in the water? What unique achievements do you have in relation to the water or lifeguarding?

When I was five-years-old I started doing nippers in the near freezing waters of Clifton Beach SLSLC in Hobart, Tasmania. I began competing in ironman racing as soon as they would let me and raced for Clifton Beach until I was 18, before then joining the Mooloolaba SLSC on the Sunshine Coast. During my time with Clifton I think I was selected in around 4-5 State Teams and in my last year of U/19’s with Mooloolaba I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of national titles in the double ski and ski relay.

What drew you to lifeguarding?

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!

How long have you been a lifeguard for?

I started lifeguarding at The Hobart Aquatic Centre when I was 16, but I have only been at Bondi since late September.

How has your view changed over the years on the beach and what you do?I don’t think my view has changed so much over the past few years, as it has more over the past few months. Compared to Bondi, Mooloolaba and the Sunshine Coast is relatively quite. Whilst the service up there was top notch, due to less numbers and calmer conditions we just didn’t see the number of incidents that you see at Bondi. I guess during my short time on the Sunshine Coast, I would go to work with the mindset that I would be surprised if something crazy happened; where as now I rock up to work expecting something is going to happen every day.

What do you love about being a Bondi Lifeguard? Working at Bondi sort of epitomises just how lucky we are here in Australia. You’re working possibly the best job in the world, in one of the most beautiful places in the world. After my first day I was messaging my dad and brother and I was just like, “I can’t believe how lucky I am to be working and living here.” I think as you get older this something you become more aware of and more grateful for everyday.

Is there still something that gets your heart racing on the job? Coming from little old Tasmania, I’m not exactly used to the hustle and bustle and the sheer numbers of people that Bondi attracts. The intensity of all those people on the beach and in the water definitely gets my heart racing. It’s good in a way though because it keeps you on your feet and ready for anything. What's the greatest lesson you've learnt while being a lifeguard? The greatest lesson I’ve learnt at Bondi is probably how to deal with all the people. The guys have got systems in place: ways of scanning the beach; ways of breaking up the swimmers with extra sets of flags; places to position the buggies on certain days. They are all little things that only experience can teach you and it seems like each of the boys have there own little piece of wisdom to pass on.

What do you think are the most important characteristics of a lifeguard? There is all the usual characteristics you could mention such as being fit, having the ability to stay calm during emergencies, good surf skills, good people skills etc. These are obviously all important, but one quality that has stood out for me - one which all the guards seems to have - is the ability to switch on at the drop of the hat. Everyone can be in the tower having a chat and a laugh and to most it would seem like they’re not paying attention. But then someone will see a swimmer about to get in trouble near the rocks from 2km’s away and without even using the bino’s; or there will be a knock on the door and everyone will snap into action as if they’re US marines. When you’re in the tower or on the beach for nearly 10 hours a day sometimes, you can’t afford to be up tight and not talking the whole time because it’s just far too mentally draining, so I think this ability to have fun, but switch on whenever you need to is super important.

What's the hardest part of your job? Like I said, adapting from the laid back Sunshine Coast to the intensity of Bondi, it’s been a real wake up call but one I’ve embraced.

What's it like when there is an emergency? I haven’t yet had a major emergency at Bondi, although we’ve had a few close calls, the professionalism everyone showed in dealing with these though is definitely something I want to be able to emulate. This year is the 10th for the TV Series, what’s been the most emotional day for you on the job? (Or several days) Ask me at the end of the season!

Which rescue stands out as something you’ll never forget? My first rescue at Bondi was a girl who didn’t speak very good English. I picked her up on the board and she jumped on facing the wrong way, and also sitting upright. I tried explain to her that she needed to flip around and lay down but she just couldn’t grasp the concept. It was a pretty flat day so I just ended up paddling her in as she was, she was sitting up on the front of the board like some sort of emperor being chaperoned. As I was paddling in I knew all the boys would have been in the tower laughing and I was cursing my luck that it had to happen on my first rescue!

What do you want to achieve or get out of this season at Bondi? I want to get to the end of the season, and feel like I can be relied on. I want to ask a thousand questions, be thrown in the deep end a thousand times and come out feeling that I am reading to handle anything that might get thrown my way.

How do you feel about sharks? I like watching Shark Week on National Geographic but that’s about it! Whilst I respect just how awesome they are I definitely won’t be too upset if I never meet one. I like to swim to keep fit these days and I make good use of the ocean pools for good measure!

Do you have any fears?Heights, sharks, and my girlfriend when I don’t make the bed.

Do you have another job outside LG? I write and intern for Boss Hunting, an Australian based leisure website.

What are you hobbies? I love writing. I’ve currently got one year left of a Bachelor of Media in Communications and Journalism at the University of New South Wales, so whenever I have some free time I’m either working on my writing or reading. My uncle is a really well respected journalist back in Tasmania so I sort of want to follow in his shoes, I’ve had a few articles published so far but I’ve got a long way to go!

Do you hang out with any of the lifeguards on the weekend?I live with Jackson Doolan in Clovelly, he’s originally from the Sunshine Coast and moved here a year before me.

What's your best and worst quality?The boys reckon I don’t talk much and I even picked up the nickname Humphrey for while (after Humphrey the Bear). I think it’s because I’ve been to focused on not stuffing up that I’ve forgotten to talk! They need to be careful what they wish for though because I think a lot of other people would agree that my worst quality is that I don’t shut up.

What's the one thing people don't know about you? I’m a big Gossip Girl fan.

If you weren’t a lifeguard what would you be? In a lot of trouble! I was useless in wood and metal work at school, I used to hide up the back of the class because I was scared I would hurt myself - so a trade was definitely out of the question. I was also got kicked out of food tech for cooking all the foods into rather crude shapes – so hospitality wasn’t an option either. Hopefully my journalism careers work out, but if not I’m very happy to stay at the beach.

What’s the silliest thing you’ve seen on Bondi Beach?One bloke thought it would be a good idea to lay face down in the water, holding his breath for about two minutes in the southern corner. You can imagine just how that went down.

Tell us something funny about one of the other lifeguards?Jackson Doolan (who is also my roommate) blow-dries his hair every morning.