To the Olympians, we are heroes

EXMOUTH lifeguard David Tidball will be playing a major role at the London Olympics.

David, known as Tids, and fellow Exmouth Beach Rescue Club members Felicity Elliott, 24, and Dan Thorogood, 27, have made it through a rigorous selection process and will lifeguard for a week at Hyde Park's Serpentine lake, for the 110 competitors taking part in the men's and women's Triathlon.

They will join two members of Dawlish Warren Lifesaving Club and six from Saunton, in North Devon, who are also heading up from the county.

Tids is the owner of Tad Surf in Exmouth and Exeter and has been a volunteer senior lifeguard for the club for five years. He is also a trainer for Surf Life Saving Great Britain.

The club has provided lifeguards, including Tids, for various national and international triathlon events including the London Triathlon, the Blenheim Triathlon and the World Championships.

The 48-year-old father-of-four said: "It's an honour. I'm really looking forward to it."

"If anyone asks how good a lifeguard you are and you can say you've lifeguarded for the Olympics – there's no higher badge of honour really.

"Each of us will be either on the pontoons, in the boats or on a board.Then if something goes wrong we'll fly into action. We're given 90 seconds to get them to medical help.

"This makes it really exciting. Your heart jumps to 120 beats straight away. It's a big physical challenge for us.

"This year I'm on the pontoon but at previous events I've been on the board. At the World Triathlon event at Hyde Park two years ago I ended up paddling 18km on my belly.

"The clubs down here have always lifeguarded at the big events. We were asked if we wanted to lifeguard about two years ago.

"Once we got through the first round of interviews we then had to go through more interviews and try-outs – it was a mad procedure."

Tids and his fellow lifeguards have two training days coming up at the site as well as a further pre-event training week.

"To the athletes, you're heroes," he added. "These guys aren't scared of falling off their bikes or getting a stitch when running. But you're there to save them from drowning.

"When I took my kids up to the London triathlon at ExCel event last year, the athletes were showing them round.

"They're a great bunch of people and really grateful to us.

"It's a great shame that there isn't a paralympic triathlon event this year. It's even more exciting to watch. The athletes are amazing."

In preparation for the Games, Tids is committed to stepping up his fitness regime.

He said: "We normally train twice a week. I'll be stepping up the training to five times a week and that will include swimming, beach fitness, paddle boarding, running and gym work."