Emma Wimsey loves being in the water.
It doesn’t matter if she’s racing or saving lives, she’s happiest when she’s around the ocean or a pool.
So she’s been loving life this summer.
Wimsey is a senior at St. Hubert High School, and this summer, she’s been spending her time sitting atop a lifeguard stand, making sure swimmers in North Wildwood are safe.
Not only is it a rewarding experience, it’s hard to beat as a summer job. Do you get to work from the beach every day?
She does.
“My mom was a lifeguard from 1996 to 2003 in North Wildwood, and she loved doing it,” said Wimsey, who lives in Winchester Park. “I always wanted to do it, we were raised around lifeguards, my whole family.
“It’s a lot of fun. We don’t have to be there until 9 a.m. We get there, there’s a morning workout, after that you are available to go out on paddleboard or swim until you’re needed. A lot of it is just sitting there with the people, getting to know them. We move around a lot, you don’t get an exact spot. But it’s a great job, I love it”
She already has made a rescue.
“One so far,” she said. “It was OK, scary in the moment, but the adrenaline took over. It was an adult. They were very thankful. We’re there in case they need us.
“That’s definitely the best part about this job, you make a lot of friends from all over. It’s almost like they become a second family to you. That’s been my favorite part about the job so far, just making so many friends and meeting so many cool people.”.
It’s the perfect summer job in other ways, too. It keeps her around her favorite sport.
Wimsey is a three-sport athlete at St. Hubert. In the fall she’s a member of the golf team. In the spring she is a defender for the lacrosse program. She takes all three sports very seriously but if she had to pick a favorite, it would be swimming.
Her favorite event to swim is a 200-free, but she’s willing to do whatever she can to help the team, just as she’s been doing since she started her swimming career at St Jerome’s.
“I do the 200-free and the relays,” said Wimsey, who made First-Team All-Catholic as a member of the relay team after getting second team as a sophomore. “I started swimming in third grade for St. Jerome’s. In sixth grade I did that and swam for Lower Moreland, and in the summers I would swim at Winchester Swim Club. Once I got to high school, I focused on St. Hubert.”
She’s not only the leader of the team, she’s the leader of a team that she loves.
Wimsey loves being a part of the team that she considers her second family. She also praised her coach for harvesting that family atmosphere.
The feeling is mutual.
“Emma is a three-year captain,” Hubert swim coach Annemarie Szambelak said. “She’ll be captain again this year. Emma has always been a leader. She’s at practice every night. She’s committed to the team and she also wants to make sure that her teammates have a great experience and that they can bond as a team.
“She works hard. She has a great personality that’s funny and caring. I think one of the things I love about the dynamic of the team is that every girl has their own personality and it just blends so well. We are going to have a number of new swimmers next year and I’m excited to see her lead and help them mold into a new team. I know that I can rely on.”
Wimsey learned to be a good leader at home where she has a younger brother and sister.
Her sister, Sophie, is 13 and is currently looking at high schools. Her brother Shawny is 6.
“I love being around them,” Wimsey said. “I feel like I learned how to be a leader by being a big sister. They’re athletes, my brother is just starting, but my sister is a big soccer player. We all support each other.”
If Sophie is looking for a school you know exactly where her big sister will tell her to go. On top of being a three-sport star and ranked 15th in her senior class, Wimsey serves as a Bambi Ambassador. There she tells everyone about how much she loves her school.
“I’m going into my senior year and I’m starting to get sad it’s over because I love it so much,” Wimsey said. “When I got here I wanted to do something. I thought about student council, but I liked this because you’re helping people outside the school. You’re telling them how great it is. I love the school so it’s great.”
Wimsey has goals beyond Hubert. She hopes to go to college, possibly down south, though she’s unsure what she’ll study.
But she has a lot to accomplish before she goes.
“I just want to keep getting better,” Wimsey said. “In swimming, in all sports and in school, I have one year left here and I love it. I want to make it the best year it can be.”
