It can happen to anyone. Swim out too far, and what was to be a few minutes of recreation in the refreshing Atlantic Ocean becomes an eye-burning, soul-draining trip through a liquid Sahara. And just when arms and legs seem to turn to lead, a small girl drags you to the sand.
The rescuer is Maura "Mo" Bolger '03, a silver medal winner in this year's World Lifesaving Championships in Sydney, Australia. Despite Bolger's mere 110 pounds, the 5 ft. 3 inch freshman outran and outswam more than 100 other female lifeguards from across the nation to prove that she was one of the six women worthy of competing in Sydney against teams from 26 other nations.
At Princeton, Bolger is a member of the swim team. She wakes each morning at 6 a.m. and rushes to DeNunzio pool for practice, where she tucks her shoulder length brown hair into her black swim cap and dives into the water. Bolger will swim 20 hours a week while she is in season, but because she has been swimming competitively since she was seven years old, the hours in the pool are natural to her.
"My parents just had me take swimming lessons because we got a pool, and they wanted me to be safe," Bolger said. "I really liked it, so I joined a summer swim team." Bolger grew more competitive over the years, and placed third in the mile swim at the Ivy Championships this winter.
Though Bolger swam competitively, it was not her swim coach who introduced her to lifeguarding but a high school lab partner. Bolger began lifeguarding the summer after 10th grade at Bradley Beach, N.J., 20 minutes away from her home in Brille.
"Our town's lifeguards would compete in local tournaments against other towns," Bolger said. "We like to see who has the best group." Hesitating at first to admit to the prowess of Bradley Beach lifeguards, Bolger eventually conceded, "We were usually in the top three."
Not quite Baywatch
At the National Lifesaving Championships, held in New Jersey, Bolger competed against more than 100 of the best lifeguards in the country. Bolger's first place finish in the Run-Swim-Run event helped her win a spot on the national team with world-famous lifeguards.
"People ask me 'What is it like — Baywatch?' " Bolger said, laughing. "The funny thing is that Baywatch characters were based on three of the people on my team."
The three are Los Angeles County lifeguards Mitch Kahn, Kraig Hummer and Dianne Graner Gallas, all of whom competed on Bolger's team in Sydney. The three provided the inspiration for Baywatch's Mitch, Cody and Lt. Stephanie Holden, respectively.
"Kraig and Cody actually look alike," Bolger added.
On March 24, The World Lifesaving Championships began in the Sydney Aquatic Center — home of the 2000 Summer Olympic swimming events — and later concluded on Sydney's Manley Beach. Though Bolger said "the waves were a lot bigger than anything I've seen in New Jersey," the U.S. women's team won a silver medal in the Rescue Tube Rescue relay. This performance, in which Bolger played a vital role, qualified the six women for the Goodwill Games in 2001.
Dedication
Lifesaving competitions may have taken Bolger to Australia, but those events are merely for recreation. Bolger is dedicated to lifeguarding as a job.
"Lifeguarding is very rewarding," Bolger said. One of the most fulfilling experiences of her three years on the lifeguard stand came this summer, when she rescued an 11-year-old girl.
"She had swallowed a lot of water," Bolger remembered. "But it was rewarding having this little girl thank me. Parents get so worried, and they will come thank you too."
Bolger's diminutive size does not discourage her. "You can do amazing things," she said. "The big thing is getting out to them with something that they can float on."
"She is an awesome swimmer," said Natasha Yaeger '03 who lifeguarded at Bradley Beach with Bolger. "She is a very determined athlete, and she is usually successful in what she does."
Bolger's accomplishments in high school and college further prove her determination as an athlete. Bolger was a high school All American in the 500-yard freestyle swim and All State in high school cross country. Now, during her Princeton off-season, she swims six hours every week and runs with the University's track team in the afternoon.
Though lifeguarding has been a summer job since high school, Bolger shows no signs of slowing. "Nationals are in San Diego next year," she announced without prompting. "I can't wait."
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