Open Water Swim Lifeguard

Lifeguard

Open Water Swim Clinics (OWS) at Shelby Farms Park offer tips, advice & training from professional swim & triathlon coaches. The clinic is open to a wide range of skill levels: swimmers who are training for their first ever triathlon to swim endurance athletes to those training for the upcoming Ironman. This gives participants a great opportunity to grow their confidence and comfort level to increase the ability to swim safely and continuously in open water and during a race/triathlon.

Shelby Farms Park, along with community partners are offering a limited number of sessions and time slots for registered participants to swim a small course in Hyde Lake. There will be 2- 3 lifeguards on duty for each session, in kayaks on the water. 

As an Open Water Swim Lifeguard, you serve a vital role in the Open Water Swims.  Shelby Farms Park lies in the heart of Shelby County in Memphis, Tennessee on 4,500 acres of green space and 10.65 miles of urban trail. It's a community treasure, unrivaled in size and potential anywhere else in the United States. In 2016, Shelby Farms Park opened major improvements that give the park new amenities, more adventures, healthier ecology and a lot more to love! 

There are 20 Sunday sessions throughout the season & 6 Thursday sessions. We know you cannot make all of the sessions, but we encourage you to work

The Lifeguard Lead is the emergency response coordinator.  He has direct communication (two-way radio, telephone, wireless phone, or runner) with the emergency response team (Shelby Farms Park Staff Member + Operations Team- Ranger).  If the Lifeguard Lead has to leave the waterfront, he designates an acting lead and gives the emergency communications device to that person (i.e. The person with the radio is in charge of the emergency response).

Red Cross Lifeguard Certification