Jean-Paul has worked with Belgravia Leisure since April 2020. Jean-Paul, better known as JayPee, started with us as a Lifeguard before becoming a Lifeguard Supervisor and is now working as our Aquatics Coordinator overseeing the lifeguards at Trust House Recreation Centre in Masterton, New Zealand.
Jaypee says, “Some of the highlights working with Belgravia Leisure have been having the opportunity to spend some of the summers in the South Island at our Twizel Pool. It is a very welcoming community that I hope to see again next summer.
“I also love meeting new people, finding out about them and building relationships within the community.”
How have you been impacted by Covid and what have you learnt?
“There have been a large number of our team impacted at our venue with Covid. What I have learnt and seen is that it takes a team to make things work. Our team have really stepped up to help each other when times got tough and we have been so lucky that we haven’t had to close pools due to lack of staff.
“Until we see the end of Covid we are all in this together so we move forward and continue to be a place of enjoyment and fun for our community.”
What is your favourite and least favourite thing about your career?
“I love meeting new people but some days are harder than others. An important part of my role is ensuring that our members and guests are safe and behave appropriately, sometimes getting them to listen to instructions can be a challenging part of the role.”
What are three things you’re most passionate about in life and why?
“Number one is family. It’s the foundation for everything and all things flow from there. Love your life and enjoy being a part of it and surrounding yourself with positive people.”
What does sustainability mean to you?
“I am Māori / Tahitian and in our culture, the Earth is the very sustenance of life. We need to be looking after our Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) as it sustains us and our future generations.”
“We have a great team and I love what I do. I’m passionate about supporting our team, customers and community,” JayPee concluded.
