Madison Ray lifeguard historian - Hard Truths & Myths

Episode Summary

On this Wednesday episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, host Natalie Hood (Director of Education & Network Development for The Grit Game) sits down with lifeguard historian, trainer, and content creator Miss Madison Ray to pull back the curtain on what lifeguards actually do, why they’re leaving the industry, and how dangerous our “they’re just babysitters” mindset really is.

From CPR in real facilities to CPR to Taylor Swift on TikTok, this episode hits both the heart and the hard facts.

Natalie opens the show with a real incident: At her facility, a patron went into cardiac arrest. The on-deck lifeguard initially walked past—but caught the emergency within seconds, initiated CPR, and helped save a life. The response was described as textbook by higher management.

With tuition assistance on the line, Madison made her college history degree directly relevant to aquatics by tying lifeguard history + education into her senior thesis. She argues that lighthouse keepers were essentially the first modern lifeguards—vigilance, rescue, and readiness long before red trunks and rescue tubes.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 10:12 Discussion Continues
• 20:25 Deep Dive
• 30:38 Key Insights