Alberta medal recipient from Queen Elizabeth II reflects on meeting her
Tyler Bailer was just 17 years old when he saved his step-father's life. Little did he know, it would earn him an opportunity to meet the Queen.
"I just heard this loud thud and it was actually my step-father collapsing, so I ran upstairs, kind of assessed the situation and started doing CPR right away on him," he said.
"I was always told that’s one of the reasons why he’s with us now still, is because of my quick actions and the training that I had."
Lifesaving sport is a combination of Olympic swimming and lifesaving elements, like CPR and rescue tactics. It's recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation and governed by the Lifesaving Society.
Bailer was nominated for the Russell medal, an award for a rescuer under 18 and invited to Buckingham Palace to receive his award.
"When I first got that call, I was like it’s gotta be a scam or something, like there’s no way," he said. "About a year later, that’s where I ended up being."
He was one of three to receive an award that day, Bailer said, and got to meet the head of the society: Queen Elizabeth.
"It was super nerve-wracking, like I’m meeting the Queen," he said. "Like I’m from Wetaskiwin in Alberta, it’s like no one ever meets the Queen from over here, and here I am getting thrust into this situation."
Bailer explains that the Queen spoke to each person individually before they were given their medals, and he said she asked him about his family, and the two talked about the rescue.
"She was very soft spoken, she was quite witty," he adds. "I remember, I was almost afraid to shake her hand because I didn’t want to like grab her too hard or hurt her."
Despite meeting the Queen, Bailer said he was never really one to follow along in the affairs of the royal family. So, he said, he didn't expect to feel so sad when he heard the Queen had died.
"I was quite surprised. It kind of hit me in a different way I wasn’t really expecting it to," he said, adding that he is close to the age she was when she ascended to the throne.
"It just hit me."
Bailer said he's recently been looking at some of the photos from that meeting and reliving the moment. His medal is safely tucked away, and though he hasn't seen it in a while, he said it's more precious now that she's gone.
"I think it has more sentimental value to it now," he said. "I was actually given something by [her], from her, and I think it adds that little more value to myself anyway."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.