Auckland pool lifeguards are NZ champs

Auckland Council’s pool lifeguards have added another trophy to the cabinet after taking out the National Pool Lifeguard Competition in Wellington last week.

The regional team, made up of pool lifeguards from three of the Auckland Council’s popular leisure facilities and contract partner Community Leisure Management, beat rivals from four other teams from around the country.

The win comes hot on the heels of North Shore Leisure taking out the Regional Pool Lifeguard Championship, for the third year in a row, at the Auckland Regional Pool Lifeguard competition last month.

The winning team consisted of North Shore Leisure’s Craig Hustler, Community Leisure Management’s Casey Coyle, Manukau Leisure’s Ngereteina Teaukura and Simon Mittermeier from The Leisure Centre in Rodney.

Ian Maxwell, manager of parks, sport and recreation for the Auckland Council commends the team on their winning efforts and says pool lifeguards carry out an important service for the safety and wellbeing of our communities.

“This is the highest accolade for pool lifeguards in New Zealand,” says

“The competition is both land and pool based; demonstrating the breadth of skill and experience required to be an outstanding lifeguard.

“Being recognised as the best of the best confirms just how high the standard is amongst our pool staff and is an achievement we can all be proud of,” he says.

Craig Hustler, pool lifeguard at North Shore Leisure, says making the nationals is a personal triumph and a real team effort.

"It meant a lot to me personally being selected for the Auckland Regional Pool Lifeguard team,” says Craig.

“As a team, we knew the nationals offered a bigger challenge and to come out on top as competition winners, has meant so much to all of us.

“It is a testament to all of the hard work and dedication that each team member has put into their training leading up to this event.”