Welcome New Junior Ambassadors Colton Quick, Nicole Harvey and Amanda Marshall

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Colton Quick is 15 years old and was born and raised in Newport Beach, California, a coastal town known for its great surfing, sandy beaches and aquatic sports activities.  Colton has spent most of his life in and around the water. He began swimming lessons at three months old to learn water safety and survival swimming skills and his love for the water grew from there.  

Colton has participated in the Newport Beach Junior Guards program learning valuable aquatic skills, beach environment safety, first aid and lifesaving methods.  He is scuba certified and has earned his international sailing license. Currently a sophomore at Corona Del Mar High School, Colton is a member on the water polo and swim team.

Having devoted so much time learning water safety through out these activities, he was shocked to learn about shallow water blackout from a friend and mentor who lost her son to this tragedy.  Realizing that he or any of his friends could succumb to shallow water blackout at any time he decided to raise awareness about it at his high school and through his community.

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Nicole Harvey is a seventeen-year-old competitive swimmer who has grown up in Newport Beach, California, surrounded by the water. She is currently completing her senior year as an honor student at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast. She began swimming for her neighborhood swim team when she was four years old and has continued to swim competitively ever since then. Nicole is also the captain of her high school swim team. Not only does she swim in the pool, Nicole has also spent most of her summers participating in Junior Lifeguard programs on the Balboa Peninsula and she has even become lifeguard certified. She has also worked as a swim coach under Kaitlin Sandeno to teach five-year-old children the beginnings of stroke technique. Other than swimming, Nicole can be found painting, reading, or studying—usually on the beach.

Nicole was educated about the dangers of Shallow Water Blackout by her family friend, Karen Curreri, as she told Nicole the story of how she lost her son, Staff SGT. Joseph F. Curreri, to this tragic event. Joe was a highly skilled swimmer and combat diver. As a competitive swimmer, who sometimes is asked to hold her breath during lung capacity swim sets, Nicole understands how this phenomenon could affect her, as well as other accomplished swimmers. She decided to join the Shallow Water Blackout family in order to increase awareness in the beach community where she lives.

Amanda Marshall is the oldest of three children and grew up in coastal Southern California.  Having lived in a warm climate most of her life, much of her time was spent outdoors either at the beach or at pool parties or participating on swim teams.  Swimming and understanding water safety was a big part of her childhood. Amanda’s first year on a recreational swim team was at age 8 on the Irvine Swim League (ISL) and she earned the award for “Most Improved Swimmer.” Since then, swimming has continued to be her favorite sport. This year Amanda is a high school senior at Sage Hill and it will be her third year competing on Sage Hill’s girls’ varsity swim team.   During the summer of 2019, Amanda was employed by the City of Irvine as a lifeguard at the world renowned William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center. Woollett serves as a venue for local, regional and national competitive events and features two 50 meter pools and a 25 yard instruction pool.  Prior to her employment, Amanda earned the American Red Cross Certificate of Completion on 6/8/19 in the following areas: Asthma Inhaler Training, Epinephrine Auto-Injector Training, Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED,  Administering Emergency Oxygen, Bloodborne Pathogens Training, First Aid for Public Safety Personnel (Title 22) 23 hour Initial Training.  Amanda enjoys helping people, especially elderly and young children.  During her free time, she sings and plays piano at nursing homes in her community, both solo and with her a capella group that she co-leads, called The Sweet Adelines.  She also volunteers in church teaching young kids crafts during vacation bible school and leading youth music groups. Amanda first learned about the dangers of Shallow Water Blackout by her family friend, Karen Curreri who lost her son, Staff SGT. Joseph F. Curreri, to this tragic event. Joe was a highly skilled swimmer and combat diver. Amanda is very aware of the dangers of Shallow Water Blackout and is eager to help spread awareness and prevention of it in her community.

Welcome to the team, Colton, Nicole and Amanda!