Saorla O'Donovan
@saorla_odonovan
STAFF MEMBER
Female
Ireland
Biography
I’ve spent every summer living on a beach and exploring all watersports from this vantage. I began swimming competitively at the age of eight and swam throughout University as well. As we had no official swimming team, I played waterpolo with University and kept up my training by dropping into sessions in my swimming club at home and with the local triathlon club. I began surf lifesaving a little later than my peers at 17 and loved it, especially the combination of so many facets such as swimming, running, international ski, paddleboarding and so on. I was already a beach lifeguard at this stage but surf lifesaving saw me beach lifeguard for five years and kept me highly motivated throughout. I train as an IRB driver (power boat rescue in surf) during the summer and volunteer at lifesaving and open water swimming events. I am a qualified Irish and Physical Education teacher and have spent the last two years working in Dubai as a PE and swimming teacher.