Former lifeguard, Ben Whayman, details his journey to the London 2012 Games and gives tips on how others can follow in his footsteps
When I was 17 years old, my first love was swimming. I was a British international, competing in the 200m breaststroke and backstroke.
Those were the days before Lottery funding, however, and I found it impossible to fund my sport. I took a tough decision and about my future and studied a B.TECH diploma in leisure studies, paying for this by working as a lifeguard. I went on to Coventry University to do an honours degree in leisure management. Coventry was a natural choice because it had one of the best student swimming teams in the UK and excellent facilities.
I expected to walk straight into a leisure management job, but it was tough. In the end I became a lifeguard at Barnet Copthall leisure centre in London. It was hard work but I put the time in and after a couple of promotions I moved into the private sector, working for Leisure Connexions in Brixton as an assistant manager. But I was never really comfortable with the private sector ethos so when a job was advertised with GLL, a community-focused charitable social enterprise running leisure centres around the south-east, I jumped at the chance.
That was in 2001 and since then I've worked in a number leisure centres in London, gaining real experience of sport events management on a large scale.
While my track record in aquatic sports was strong, I had less experience in other fields. To widen my knowledge, I worked as a volunteer at athletics events including the European Indoor Championships. This proved to be a sound investment because in February this year I was seconded to work for the Olympic organising committee, running the Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park during the Games. I'm in charge of the group leaders who have trained the lifeguards for the Games and who will be managing them on a daily basis during London 2012.
This is definitely a career high. I'd never have thought when I first trained as a lifeguard in my teens that it would lead me to a management role at the London Olympics. It's hard work but everyone on my team is highly motivated and there's such excitement in the air during events that it makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
For anyone looking to develop a career in leisure management, more specifically in an aquatic-related field, passion for sport is a must. The leisure industry isn't for the faint-hearted; you need a capacity to work hard as shift working is part and parcel of the job and you need to be ready to work weekends, early or late shifts.
My top tip to anyone looking to get ahead of the game is to be willing to learn and experience all areas of the industry. I've worked for a range of very diverse leisure centres, from state-of-the-art purpose-built facilities to those sited in some of London's poorest boroughs and in awkward Victorian buildings. I have run small-scale community events to encourage grassroots participation and hosted world class athletes. This has given me a broad knowledge base and the confidence to know that I could successfully manage most situations.
There are various routes into a career in leisure management. I started as a lifeguard but others I know have become part-time fitness instructors or taken a UK Coaching Certification.
Some leisure organisations, including mine, will sponsor students studying for degrees in leisure business or sports science. It's also worth considering an apprenticeship. GLL takes fifty apprentices a year, training them in all the key qualifications, and there's a national apprenticeship scheme.
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