Making a difference is What We Do. Being a Waterwise Instructor is a great way to make a difference in people’s lives. Being able to add being a Sea Rescue volunteer makes it even better. When I go and do talks and workshops, often i get your thank you’s afterwards and people come up to me and tell me their rescue or being rescued story and it is always humbling to have these situations, but when we receive letters like the one below, it really lets me know that what I am doing IS making a difference in people’s lives.
Dear NSRI
My name is Hayley Ross, I am sixteen and I am a student at Woodridge College and Preparatory just outside of Port Elizabeth. This morning I attended one of the most emotional and inspirational presentations that i have ever had the privileged to attend.
I am not a swimmer in any form of the word but my twenty-one year old sister, Ashley Ross, is a qualified scuba diving instructor, yacht master and first aider. For the past two years my sister has been a deck hand on a forty eight foot catamaran yacht based in Genoa, Italy and I fear for her safety everyday but after attending the NSRI presentation this morning at my school, I have been given piece of mind over my sisters career choice. Another very important person in my life is my roommate at boarding school, Crystal Hulett. Crystal is the under twenty-one South African female surfing champion. I know that the sea is a very dangerous place and i often have nightmares about something happening to Crystal. When I hear that Crystal is going to go surf I want to tie her to a tree to keep her from going but now that I know about NSRI and all of the people that they help, the risks they take and the sacrifices they make, I know that if anything were to happen to Crystal, that she will be in good hands as long as NSRI are there.
The NSRI volenteers are my new, real life superheros and I feel privileged to be taught by one of the volunteers, Miss Laura Wilmot. I would just like to conclude by saying a personal thank you to all of the NSRI volunteers for everything that they do.
yours sincerely,
Hayley Ross
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