Ladner's Craig Amundsen got to meet Queen Elizabeth when he was honoured for his contribution to the valuable drowning prevention work of the Royal Life Saving Society.
A past BC & Yukon branch and national president of the Royal Life Saving Society, Amundsen attended the award presentation last month at the Royal Over-Seas League in London, England, where 125 members of the society were presented with the HRH Prince Michael of Kent 125th Anniversary Certificate of Merit.
Award recipients were also invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Michael of Kent, Commonwealth president of the Royal Life Saving Society, to mark the anniversary.
"It was impressive on multiple levels," Amundsen said of meeting the Queen.
"The first part of the reception included a receiving line, so you were introduced to the Queen. It's a fairly brief occurrence, she thanks you for attending and you attempt to bow to show gratitude, but later on in the evening, the Queen, who is 90-years-old, came out and worked the room," he said.
"She spoke to everyone. I had two minutes to speak with her. LIFE-CHANGING: see Page 3 "Right away she expressed her appreciation for what the Canadian Lifesaving Society is doing in smaller Commonwealth countries like Saint Lucia and Guiana. I was so impressed with her level of knowledge. I was able to talk about the work we are doing in Vancouver. To spend two minutes talking to the Queen was a lifechanging experience."
The award is given to individuals whose voluntary contribution and achievements have significantly impacted on the society and its work, or have represented the society in an exemplary way, in particular in the fields of sport, youth and drowning prevention.
"It's overwhelming," he said of getting the award. "Receiving a letter in August that I had been nominated was a surprise to me and then that I had won the award was very humbling.
"When we received the letter we really didn't quite understand the magnitude of it. The letter said we could attend the ceremony in late November in London, but it wasn't until a week later when we received an email saying that the awards ceremony would be at Buckingham Palace. That just makes one think, well, I'm going to London."
Amundsen has acted as a mentor to many lifeguards and instructors. After many years as a volunteer field representative, he joined the society's BC & Yukon branch board in 2005 as vice-president and served as president from 2008 to 2010.
He then went on to represent BC and the Yukon at the national board level from 2009 to 2015 and served in the role of national president from 2012 to 2014. He continues in the role of advisor to the national board.
Award recipients came from a variety countries, including Australia, India and South Africa.
A volunteer organization, the Royal Life Saving Society is dedicated to the prevention of drowning and was established in England in 1891. It has independent, self-governing branches active in 27 Commonwealth countries.
