Fajardo celebrates her 20th year on the Sea Colony lifeguard stand

She is as humble as a hockey player.

Anyone who ever compliments Sea Colony Beach Patrol Lt. Cindy Fajardo for her outstanding lifesaving and training achievements receives a polite “thank you.”

Her reply is always quickly followed by several platitudes regarding the lifeguards under her command.

Cindy Fajardo (pronounced “fah-har-doe”) has made a career of recruiting, training and congratulating lifeguards who patrol the half-mile of private beach in front of the Sea Colony high-rise condominiums. The 53-year-old wife and mother of two has educated swimmers and participated in numerous rescues in the wakes of rip currents and shorebreak waves to save many lives.

This summer, the veteran lifeguard and officer is marking her 20th anniversary on the Sea Colony Beach Patrol.

Celebrating Fajardo’s 20 years on the stand

SCBP Lt. Cindy Fajardo, left, gathers with daughters Luanna, center-left, and Carly, center-right, and her husband, Jason. Coastal Point • Submitted

Carly Fajardo has followed in her mother’s footsteps.

The 24-year-old officer and lifeguard said she realizes her mom, Cindy Fajardo, would be the last person to brag about her career and achievements.

Because Carly Fajardo wanted to do something special to mark her mother’s special milestone, she spent June and the beginning of July subtly engaging her in numerous conversations to determine how her mother would discuss her role and her impressive career.

“My mom is so humble,” said Carly Fajardo, the older of the two Fajardo sisters. “To her, being a lifeguard means helping others in need, improving herself and being an educator — and in many cases, being a student as well. She feels that it also means being resilient, hardworking, disciplined and a team player.

“In her role as a lifeguard, she is always trying to be the best version of herself,” added Carly Fajardo. “She is driven, selfless, demanding when the situation requires it, an amazing athlete, and just the greatest person to have looking out for you.”

According to Carly Fajardo, her mom always jokes that being a lifeguard is the closest she’ll get to being a professional athlete, because part of a lifeguard’s job is being paid to work out.

“While working out is definitely not always easy, I think that the discipline and challenge of doing so make her job the easiest part for my mom,” said Carly Fajardo of her mother, who grew up in Germantown, Md., and currently lives in Ocean View with her husband, Jason Fajardo, 51. “She always leads by example and always does the right things. She’s incredibly talented, and I truly believe she was meant to perform a job like this.”

‘Insane athletic career’

One of Cindy Fajardo’s many talents is her athletic ability. She played women’s volleyball at Central Missouri State before transferring to the University of Maryland, where she served as team captain from 1991 to 1993.

These days, she competes in the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) lifeguard national competitions each summer. Last year, in South Padre Island, Texas, she helped the Sussex County Lifesaving Association (SCLA) win the national competition for the first time ever. The Delaware team became the first squad not from California or New Jersey to win the national title, which is considered the Super Bowl of competitive lifeguard surf-racing.

“I also wanted to acknowledge the insane athletic career my mom has had,” said Carly Fajardo. “At home, I’ve found 110 medals across 12 events from national and regional competitions. And those are just the ones I could find.”

According to Carly Fajardo, her mother never backs down from a challenge, and she holds herself to a high standard.

“She’s always pushing herself and finding ways to improve,” said Carly Fajardo. “Whether that involves targeting a weakness, trying a new technique, or even pursuing a continuing education opportunity, she is constantly growing and improving. She recently took a class to become certified to teach American Red Cross instructors.

“And in 2012, she obtained her emergency medical technician license, and is a licensed physical therapist,” added Carly Fajardo. “On top of all of that, our mom is the definition of a great teammate. She always looks out for others, making them feel like they’re part of the team, and helping them become the best versions of themselves.”

Carly Fajardo said she believes her mom would identify dealing with the elements as the most challenging part of being a lifeguard.

“She’s dealt with just about every weather condition you could experience on the beach, and some you wouldn’t even expect,” said Carly Fajardo. “And it can be really tough to do a job like ours when you’re dealing with winds strong enough to knock lifeguard stands over, heat waves, torrential downpours and everything in between.

“Of course, my mom has always been willing to brave the elements … with the promise of an umbrella,” added Carly Fajardo. “When she was first recruited by our captain, Dave ‘G-Man’ Griffith, he had seen her swim at the Freeman Fitness Center and insisted she try out for the beach patrol. My mom was hesitant in doing so, but she agreed when ‘G-Man’ granted her a single request — to provide her with an umbrella during her shifts on the beach. To this day, she loves a good umbrella!”

Becoming a lifeguard changed Cindy Fajardo’s life

According to her daughter, Cindy Fajardo would say that becoming a lifeguard changed her life.

“The job offer came at a time in her life where the opportunity to take a risk and say ‘yes’ to something that brought her joy and excitement was something she couldn’t pass up,” said Carly Fajardo. “The decision to take a chance and go after something she wanted has turned into 20 years of memories and an incredible impact on the community.”

That decision also completely changed the Fajardo family’s life.

“I can’t thank my mom enough for taking this job,” said Carly Fajardo. “Not only has it brought me so much joy and pride to see her thrive in this environment, but she has given me the greatest second home to grow up in. Sea Colony Beach Control was my whole childhood, and some of my earliest memories took place there.

“Not only did she give me the greatest summers growing up, but she has inspired me to follow in her footsteps. Working on the beach patrol with my mom was my dream as a kid, and it has been better than I could have ever imagined. I love this job, but I especially love working with her.”

Carly Fajardo said she feels her mother’s short-term goal is to “survive the day. Our mom’s longterm goal is to continue teaching her classes for emergency medical responder, CPR and First-Aid certifications, and being a lifeguard,” she said.

Cindy Fajardo is extremely thankful for the impact on her career that Captain Griffith has had on her career, said her daughter.

“They’ve worked together for so long, and she always speaks so fondly of her rookie class,” she said. “They went through all of the initial training together and will always be bonded by that.”

Both Carly and her 22-year-old sister, Luanna Fajardo, have spent almost their entire lives watching Cindy Fajardo “do this incredible thing year after year. We could not be prouder of the person she is, and of the impact she has had,” said Carly Fajardo. “She is my inspiration, role model and hero, and I love her so much. I congratulate her on a happy 20-year milestone, a huge accomplishment, and she should be so proud of herself. Luanna, dad and I are beyond proud of her!”

Luanna Fajardo is currently working at High Tide Coffee & Bowls in Fenwick Island, after having earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and health-and-wellness and a master’s degree in behavioral health, both from Tulane University.

Carly Fajardo earned her bachelor’s degree in science, technology and society, and media studies, from Vassar College and her master’s degree in exercise physiology from Columbia University Teachers College. She also played college volleyball — like her mom — at Vassar and was team captain her senior year. She also is the associate strength and conditioning coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Allentown, Pennsylvania Class Triple-A baseball affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies. Jason Fajardo is self-employed.