Local lifeguard legend hangs up his whistle at 79
The team at Wyndley Leisure Centre are getting ready to bid a sad farewell to a legendary lifeguard with the news that 79-year-old Bob Jones, known to one and all as ‘Super’ Bob, will be retiring at the end of March after over 20 years at the centre.
Super Bob got his name because to the people at Wyndley, he’s unstoppable! He’s overcome prostate cancer and a heart attack during his time as a lifeguard, but he’s kept on going, supporting the swimmers of this much-loved local facility.
Bob first retired in August 2001 after 43 years working for Lucas Industries. But as someone who’d always been keen swimmer and as a regular attendee of the facility, when a chance to train to be a lifeguard came up, he jumped at the opportunity, joining Wyndley in September 2001.
Super Bob:
"I’ve loved my time as a lifeguard, but at 79 it feels a good time to call it a day on my lifesaving career. I’ll always be proud of my time as a lifeguard. The team we have at Wyndley is second to none. We’ve got youngsters of 18, like Mollie Allen, then oldsters like me at almost 80, but we all get on well with great team spirit. I’ll miss that when I leave, but it’s now time to relax a bit and enjoy more time with my wife."
Paul Pinnington, Duty Manager at the centre has known Bob for over 26 years added:
"This place simply won’t be the same without Super Bob. He’s been a fixture here for as long as I can remember. His attitude to life and to staying as healthy as he can is an example to us all and I’m sure that him being in good shape was one of the main reasons he was able to recover so quickly from the prostate cancer that hit him in 2011 and the heart attack he had in 2018."
"I’m confident we’ll still see Bob around the place as he’s a regular swimmer and he attends our Body Attack classes, but I’d like to thank him for the support he’s shown this centre, this community and to me – he was actually part of the team which trained me for my first ever National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), so I’ve got him to thank for helping me take my first steps in this industry. Enjoy your second retirement, Bob – you’ve earned it!"