Welsh sisters and RNLI beach lifeguards - Alice and Daisy Davies, and Indi and Freya Lynch, will be returning to the Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion coast in 2026 ready to save lives at sea, as the charity celebrates its female team members this International Women’s Day - which takes place on March 8.

Seventeen-year-old Alice and nineteen-year-old Daisy are both RNLI beach lifeguards. Alice lifeguards in Pembrokeshire, while Daisy is a lifeguard on the Ceredigion coast, with the sisters covering beaches from Broad Haven North to Borth.

Alongside Alice in the North Pembrokeshire Team, are fellow lifeguard sisters Freya and Indi Lynch.

Alice said: “Growing up around the sea, surfing, swimming and playing in the waves, it was never a question of if we would want to become RNLI lifeguards, it was something we had always aspired to do from a young age.”

Since the RNLI lifeguarding service was first rolled out in Wales (2008), the teams have seen a large and sustained increase of female representation over the years.

Daisy said: “It’s so great to see the female representation within the lifeguard teams across Wales. We’re a close-knit team and our bond always deepens through the season on the beaches.

“We value teamwork and equality and there’s something powerful about looking down the line and seeing a team of strong women who are just as confident and capable as their male counterparts.”

Alice continued: “The female senior beach lifeguards in the team are our role models as younger women entering lifeguarding for the first time.

“They inspire us to follow in their footsteps, confidently leading shifts, making difficult decisions under pressure and taking control in challenging situations. It shows that strength and leadership in this role aren’t defined by gender.”

Starting out on her first lifeguard season last year, Welsh nation team surfer, seventeen-year-old Indi Lynch said: “It was exciting entering lifeguarding alongside other girls and young women of a similar age to me and being welcomed by lots of supportive team members. It has really helped me build my confidence immensely, learn new skills and make new friends.

“Working every summer as a RNLI beach lifeguard is what gets us through the depressing winter days, I really think it’s the best job you could possibly ask for – especially in your youth.”

Following in her older sister Daisy’s footsteps, Alice also had her first season on the beaches last year.

“Daisy had already experienced all elements of the lifeguarding role, the team bonding, being outside, the physical demands and the responsibility of keeping people safe,” she explained.

“But it meant she was able to support me with honest advice and reassurance, which really helped me build my confidence early on.

“I felt the natural nerves of starting a new job and wanting to make sure I could meet the standards, but all the encouragement and constant support from the other girls and wider team, really helped me settle and grow into the role.”

Daisy remarked: “Doing the same job as Alice has been so fun because at the end of the day, when we’re eating dinner back home, we catch up on our days’ work and what we’ve been up to. We are also quite competitive with one another, but I guess that’s healthy competition, because it pushes us both to train harder and constantly improve.”

With an inspired and supportive network of women in the RNLI lifeguarding world, the teams are able to showcase to other younger girls spending time at the beach with their family and friends, that beach lifeguarding is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in.

Nineteen-year-old Freya said: “Lifeguarding was always an appealing opportunity for me and Indi; we’ve spent countless hours in the sea and beach environment having grown up in Pembrokeshire.

“Our coastal location is such an important part of life here in west Wales, and the RNLI lifeguards were always present during our summers spent down at the beach.

“To anyone thinking about joining the RNLI, give it a go! It’s such a great charity to be a part of, you learn so many skills, meet new people and are opened to lots of opportunities. There is a fantastic, friendly community within our lifeguard team, with a kind, supportive group of women waiting to welcome you.”

Margot Lawrence long-standing Senior Beach Lifeguard in North Pembrokeshire added: “It’s so positive to see more and more women like Daisy, Alice, Freya and Indi continuing to join our lifeguarding teams. I feel we have such a strong female community within the RNLI and I look forward to seeing the future development of our skilled team as we continue to save lives at sea.”