SHE had her first taste of swimming when just a few weeks old.
But now Charlotte Jameson-McAuley is set to rub shoulders with some of the world’s greatest swimmers.
She has been chosen as a volunteer to work with both the Olympics and Paralympics’ squads in 2012.
And she will be on duty as a lifeguard in the aquatics centre in London, although she does not know yet which sports she will be covering.
“It could be any of the swimming events, the diving, the synchronised swimming or the water polo,” said Charlotte, 19.
“I will not find out until March exactly what my duties will be but I am really excited”.
Charlotte’s first taste of swimming came as a baby when her mum Stephanie, herself a top swimmer, introduced her to the water.
Since then she has gone to swim with the Tiger Sharks at Holmfirth and has trained as a lifeguard.
She volunteered for three years with Kirklees Active Leisure at weekends, helping children and young adults with disabilities learning to swim at the Stadium Pool.
She then spent a gap year in Australia and qualified as a lifeguard there, working for several months at Melbourne City Baths.
The former Greenhead College student, who is now studying primary teaching at Northumbria University, also worked at Disneyland Paris with children.
Charlotte, who lives in Holmfirth with her mum and dad Jim, said: “I had heard about the Olympics Volunteers scheme and thought I would apply.
“I really enjoyed the work I did with the children down at the Stadium Pool and also my time in Australia.
“I had already qualified as a lifeguard in England but they have much tougher rules in Australia so I had to qualify again.
“I did not think I stood a chance as there were more than 250,000 would-be volunteers, but then I got an email saying was through to the interview stage.
“I was out in Australia at the time so I had to do the interview by telephone and obviously it went well.
“Now I’m waiting to find out where I will be working next summer and cannot wait.”
