Beach flags — it’s a beach race that 11-year veteran lifeguard and former University of North Carolina Wilmington sprinter Mo Peacock has won three years in a row.
Joining him, seven other lifeguards — Noah Cahan, Calvin Daughtry, Keith Nelson, Andrea Niebel, Evan Arsenault, Kristi Falco, and Ana Collum —represented Wrightsville Beach and competed against 43 lifeguard agencies at nationals in Hermosa Beach, California.
They've been preparing for these competitions throughout the year. Examples of some of the races are running, swimming, run-swim-run, paddle board, and surf-ski.
"We start training as a team for this in October, about once or twice a week, and then in April, we'll move to two or three times a week. So it just feels good to hear a job well done from the community. And it makes these guys keep on wanting to put in hard work. And honestly, it showcases the high-quality service that we provide to our community when we're out here on the beach and at the fire department as well," said Peacock.
And his consecutive beach flag title means a lot to him and his team.
“It's a sport that I love. It's an event that I love. So it's very easy for me to go and put in the time because it's something that I'm passionate about,” said Peacock.
He's also a full-time firefighter for Wrightsville Beach and said it's his honor to represent the community he cares for.
Now that he's also a lieutenant for ocean rescue, he's seen the lifeguard team grow and evolve.
"And to see all these different people go from stand guards to going into leadership positions and helping mold that as well. The team is super stoked, and we get better and better every year, we won by our largest margin of victory this year at regionals," said Peacock.
With his win, Peacock becomes one of ten athletes who will represent the United States at the world lifesaving championships in Italy in September.
"So I'm really stoked to be able to go back out and represent Wrightsville Beach and the US," said Peacock.
This will be his second time representing Team USA. In 2019, he competed at the world event in South Africa.
