A retired schoolteacher is diving into a new profession, making waves as a rookie lifeguard at the Fredericton Indoor Pool.

“All the lifeguards here are so young,” says Paula Doucet. “It was not something I ever thought of.”

Fredericton Recreation Officer Adam Munn was looking to expand the pool’s lifeguard roster beyond its typical students, and he thought 61-year-old Doucet made the perfect candidate.

“When it comes to finding people to work that 9 to 4 range, it’s tough to get staff,” says Munn.

Doucet has always been active in the water, so Munn started timing her when she came in to swim laps. Doucet didn’t know it at the time, but she was already beating the requirement of being able to swim 400 metres in 10 minutes or less.

“She knows all the patrons, has a good rapport with the staff here, and good rapport with the user groups, so it seemed like a natural fit,” says Munn.

But when Munn brought up the idea of becoming a lifeguard, Doucet thought he was joking.

“I just started to giggle. I thought it was hilarious,” she says. “Everybody said, ‘Go for it, you’re there anyways.’”

Doucet accepted the challenge, taking on plenty of textbook reading and learning a great deal of First Aid and aquatic rescue skills.

“You have timed swims. You have to pick up one of those armless dummies at the bottom of the pool and swim back with it in a certain amount of time,” she explains.

After about five months of work, both in and out of the pool, Doucet has received her National Lifeguard Award, which qualifies her to be a professional lifeguard anywhere in Canada.

She is now working at the pool in Fredericton part-time.

“When I think of a lifeguard, I’m sure many people are thinking the same thing. They have a whistle. They sit on the chair. They walk around. That’s not it at all,” says Doucet. “It has opened my eyes and I have a whole new respect for lifeguards.”

She also has a whole new respect for how far she can push herself.

“You’re never too old. I’m 60 years old, or I guess 61, and you’re just never too old. I mean, don’t think you can’t do it. You can do it! It’s time to get up and just go for it.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore