Carole Levy
As a six year old, Alice Henry naturally wanted to do what her best friend was doing, so when that friend started as a Nipper at Altona Lifesaving Club, Alice followed suit. Alice discovered she absolutely loved it, writes Carole Levy.
For the next 10 years, Alice immersed herself in all things lifesaving and, at 16, gained her Bronze medallion which allowed her to officially patrol a beach in the iconic red and yellow.
The pandemic restrictions put a halt to her first season, but this season she was part of a 14-member patrol, doing her bit to keep swimmers at Altona beach under her watchful eye.
Alice, a year 11 student at the Notre Dame campus of Emmanuel College in Point Cook, says the world of volunteer lifesaving is rewarding – and fun in every way.
“I’ve made so many friends through the club and its events – I still have the same friends I made in my time with the Nippers and through all the different learning stages we go through,” she says.
“As an Under-15 member, I was accepted into a leadership group where we learnt so much about teamwork and what’s expected from a beach patroller. We were each given a designation that best described our “style” and I was named as a “peacock” which speaks of being outspoken and open about who I am. That was pretty funny – but also nice.”
Alice loved her recent season of being on patrol at Altona Beach.
“I loved being part of a team, meeting lots of different people and having such positive interactions with the public who were all so friendly. We also got to meet other volunteers from Wye River and Elwood and that was lots of fun.
“I wasn’t involved in any rescue events, but performed a lot of first aid on cuts and some broken bones.”
She also gets involved in lots of activities around the club.
“I’m a member of the youth group (14-18 year olds) where we do lots of training, one year going to a camp at Wye River where we did rock climbing and bike riding and other fun activities.
“We also run Sunday barbecues after Nippers.”
Alice’s family is also part of the Altona LSC. Her dad, Peter, is captain of her patrol group, while her older sister was a volunteer until her year 12 study load necessitated stepping back for a bit.
“Dad runs a lifesaving training group in winter at the Footscray pool and I manage one of the groups for him. It’s all voluntary and I love doing it. Next year, though, I hope to get some paid lifesaving work experience.”
In the meantime, Alice is focusing on completing her secondary schooling then hopes to become a paramedic – because helping people is what this “peacock” lifesaver is all about.
