By: Laura Bennett
For more than 30 years, Anthony “Harries” Carroll has been a familiar face on Bondi Beach, saving over 6000 lives as part of the Bondi Rescue team.
All of it, in spite of a dyslexia diagnosis that threatened to hold him back from a such a high-pressure role.
As he shares in the children’s book Harries: The Lifeguard from Bondi Beach, Anthony struggled with dyslexia all through childhood, bullied for his inability to read and write, and now he’s using the experience to encourage kids to see their own strengths.
“I couldn’t read or write as a kid,” Anthony said.
“My twin brother and I [both] struggled so hard, and we were made fun of and bullied.
“I’m just using this to really help kids out there because I know there’s so many kids that struggle with different conditions and difficulties.”
Like so many kids of a similar generation, the bullying was relentless and there wasn’t much consideration for the mental health effects of treating a child that way.
“Bullying is a confidence killer,” Anthony said.
“There was a picture of a brick down at the beach, and it said, ‘This is Harries brain.’
“That brick literally was there for 35 years. I thought, well, you could either look at this brick and let it bring you down or go to your strengths and work on everything to be a better version of yourself.”
The resilience Anthony developed as a kid has shaped his career as a lifeguard and also heightened his perception for dangerous situations – which is vital for his role.
“Fear is a natural thing that everyone is faced with,” Anthony said.
“I’ve preserved human life for 30 years. I’ve never lost someone on my watch.”
For Anthony, dyslexia is not something to hide, but something that has helped him thrive.
“One person might call it a disability, but it’s not a disability,” Anthony said.
“This is my ability that’s given me the greatest opportunity in life.”
Anthony’s hope is that children will know they are not defined by their struggles and that they find joy in something that gives them the same outlet he’s found in the water.
“The ‘ocean is lotion’,” Anthony said.
“Once you’re moving, everything just feels so free.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Publicity Image Used With Permission
