What does it take to make a beach safer? Knowledge, preparation, teamwork, and people willing to step up when it matters most.

For seven days, lifeguards from different beaches, backgrounds, and experiences came together in Santa Teresa with one shared purpose: learning from one another, strengthening their skills, and becoming better prepared to protect the coastlines they call home.

Academy 2026 has officially come to an end, and as we look back on this week, we are left with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and inspiration. Not only because of everything that was accomplished, but because of the people who made it happen.

Behind Every Academy Is a Team

An Academy of this scale doesn't happen in just seven days. It takes months of preparation, countless conversations, coordination, and a team willing to put in the work behind the scenes.

First and foremost, we want to recognize our Head Lifeguard and Captain, Bernardo Pro, who spent months preparing this Academy, organizing multiple meetings with the team, and bringing the entire program together.

Backing him up were Avalon, Diego, Stephanie, Mauro, Thomas, Kristine, and Gaspar, who worked long days to make sure everything ran smoothly. Their energy, commitment, and genuine passion for the work we do at Santa Teresa Lifeguards are something we are incredibly proud of.

And to our volunteer lifeguards who continued showing up every single day, taking care of our beaches, sharing their time, and keeping the program running throughout this particularly busy week: thank you for your patience, understanding, and flexibility. Your everyday commitment is what makes opportunities like this possible.

Stronger Together: Sharing Knowledge Beyond Borders

One of the most valuable things about an Academy like this is the opportunity to bring different experiences together.

This year, we had the pleasure of welcoming a special guest and longtime friend, Ezequiel Luján.

Ezequiel was once a volunteer lifeguard in our program, and today he runs his own volunteer lifeguard program in Surf City, El Salvador. Seeing someone who was once part of our team return with his own experience, knowledge, and vision was particularly meaningful. It is a great reminder of how far the connections built through lifeguarding can go, and we are already looking forward to the next project we can work on together.

We were also proud to welcome our local partners and institutions who joined us throughout the Academy.

A special thank you to Luis Hidalgo from Asociación de Guardavidas de Costa Rica for coming out, sharing his knowledge, and contributing his experience to our participants.

We were also proud to have the support of ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Board) throughout the Academy. Thank you for supporting initiatives that contribute to safer beaches and stronger coastal communities across Costa Rica. Your support helps us continue building opportunities for knowledge-sharing, professional development, and collaboration within the lifeguard community.

We were equally honored by the visit of the Jefe de Estación SR. Arnulfo Jiménez Cruz of our local Estación de Bomberos de Cóbano. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our Academy and the work our team does. We look forward to building a stronger relationship and finding opportunities to work together.

And, of course, a huge thank you to our favorite paramedic crew with José Rivera Rivas from Lifeguard Clinic, who helped make the final day of Academy 2026 truly unforgettable.

We also want to recognize The Lifeguard Project, whom we had the honor of visiting and learning from. Their approach to lifeguard training inspired us to shape this final day around realistic emergency response simulations, bringing different teams and disciplines together to train, communicate, and work as one.

Watching the teams put their skills into practice across the different beach stations gave everyone around us goosebumps. It was a powerful reminder that when an emergency happens, the ability to work together can make all the difference. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this experience possible and to those who continue inspiring us to raise the standard of ocean safety.

It Takes a Community

An Academy like this takes more than instructors and participants. It takes an entire community willing to support the people making it happen.

We are incredibly grateful to the local businesses and restaurants that stand behind our work, not only during special events but throughout the year.

For Academy 2026, a big thank you to Eat Street, Kooks, Drift Bar, Papagayo Brewery, Satori, Trópico Latino, and Muchachas for helping us welcome and take care of our guests. Your support made a difference, and we are proud to have local businesses standing behind ocean safety.

The People Who Will Take This Knowledge Forward

Of course, none of this would mean much without the people who showed up ready to learn.

We were proud to welcome teams from Playa Dominical and Playa Grande, who travelled to train alongside our team, exchange experiences, and strengthen the lifeguard community across Costa Rica.

A special mention to our youngest participant, Isaac Mora Porras, who has been training with our team for over a year and successfully completed the Academy at just 13 years old!

We also want to recognize our three local participants from Playa Hermosa, who stepped up, committed their time to the training, and showed their dedication to protecting the beach breaks they call home.

Every participant brought dedication, energy, and a willingness to learn each day. Beyond the individual skills developed, what stood out was the support participants showed one another, their teamwork, and their shared commitment to improving ocean safety.

From the first day to the final beach simulations, everyone gave 110%. Different beaches, different experiences, and different backgrounds, but one shared responsibility: protecting our coastlines and preventing drownings wherever we go.

One Mission. Stronger Together.

For our team, this was a truly inspiring week.

Academies like this remind us that ocean safety cannot depend on one organization, one beach, or one group of lifeguards. It grows stronger when knowledge is shared, relationships are built, and people are given the opportunity to learn from one another.

And the impact of these seven days doesn't stay in Santa Teresa. The knowledge, experience, and connections built here travel back to every beach these lifeguards will go on to protect.

To everyone who contributed, participated, supported, taught, learned, and showed up: thank you for being part of Academy 2026.

We are leaving this week feeling proud of what we have built together, grateful for everyone who made it possible, and even more motivated for what comes next.

Because every beach deserves someone ready to protect it.

One ocean. One mission. A stronger lifeguard community.

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