Mayor of Schouwen-Duiveland becomes certified junior lifeguard at 62
Jack van der Hoek, the 62-year-old mayor of Schouwen-Duiveland, has become an officially certified junior lifeguard after passing his exam along the coast of Renesse. He is the oldest candidate to join the training program of the Westenschouwen Beach Rescue Brigade this year and the only participant over 60, NOS reports.
Van der Hoek prepared for the certification by swimming laps and jogging in advance of the demanding training. He began his first lessons with the rescue brigade in 2023. “Then I would participate for a morning or an afternoon and learn the theory and practice in parts,” he told NOS. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to take the exam.”
To complete the course requirements, Van der Hoek took an entire week off from his duties as mayor. He trained intensively with 14 younger candidates. “In my opinion, that still wasn’t enough, because the training week was quite tough,” he said before the final test. “But I did pass the interim physical exams, so I feel confident about the final exam.”
Eddy van Well of the Westenschouwen Beach Rescue Brigade explained that the program requires strong fitness. “You have to be in good condition to dive through the waves and run across the soft sand,” Van Well told NOS. “That’s why mainly young people sign up for this training, so it’s quite exceptional that Mr. Van der Hoek joined this year.”
Van der Hoek said he was motivated to prove that older volunteers are welcome in the lifeguard corps. “People often think that only young people can be lifeguards,” he told Omroep Zeeland. “I hope to show that older volunteers are also very much welcome.”
After earning his diploma, Van der Hoek will start serving this summer as a lifeguard on the Zeeland beaches. The Westenschouwen Beach Rescue Brigade now has 140 active volunteers scheduled for the season. “We can always use new people, but it looks like we will be able to deploy enough rescuers this season,” Van Well said.
