Published August 5, 2016 03:29PM
Joe Maloy: How Being A Lifeguard Made Me A Better Triathlete
American Olympian Joe Maloy chats with nbcolympics.com about his past career as a lifeguard.
Joe Maloy. Photo: Delly Carr/Triathlon.org
American Olympian Joe Maloy chats with nbcolympics.com about his past career as a lifeguard.
Before Joe Maloy dreamed of becoming an Olympic triathlete, he wanted to be a lifeguard.
He accomplished his goal in 2003, when he joined the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol in his hometown of Wildwood Crest, N.J. He spent the next six summers patrolling one of the busiest beaches on the East Coast.
Maloy, who will represent the U.S. in the Olympic men’s triathlon on Aug. 18, described how being a lifeguard made him a better triathlete during a telephone interview with NBCOlympics.com.
Maloy, who said that he has saved “plenty” of lives, has seen everything from swimmers getting stuck in riptides to beachgoers cutting their feet on shells.
“You are always ready to go,” Maloy said. “You are always alert and paying attention, so when things happen, you just do it. You don’t think about it.”
Read more: nbcolympics.com