With a smile that always lit up Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, Trent “Maxi” Maxwell always dove headfirst into danger whenever someone needed help. Now, he teaches others around Australia and the world how to save themselves and save others.
The Early Years
At a young age, Maxi was not dreaming of becoming a lifeguard. In fact, he was terrified of the ocean. He had recurring nightmares of being dragged out to sea by riptides, and so he was scared to even enter the water at the beach. He turned out to be a bit of a prophet, because that’s exactly what fate had in store for him. While he was on a sailing trip with his dad, he had a panic attack, fell overboard into the water, and was pulled away from the boat by the waves. He had to be rescued, and he never sailed again after that.
An Unexpected Dream and Maxi’s Legendary Run on Bondi Rescue
The sailing incident may have put him off boats, but eventually, he grew a lot more comfortable in the water. He got so comfortable that he ultimately started dreaming of a career as a lifeguard. He had a whole family of “ambos and fireys” (Aussie slang for EMTs and firefighters), and so it was natural that he was drawn to emergency work.
In 2008, at age 16, Maxi became the youngest ever lifeguard to join the squad at Bondi Beach. Maxi’s journey was immortalized on the Australian TV show, Bondi Rescue. In the first years, Maxi learned the ropes from the seasoned vets of the lifeguard and beach rescue team. His skills grew, and he was always fully committed to the work – so much so that he rarely missed a day. His adventures included hopping on his rescue board to pull wayward tourists out of the sea, providing first aid and CPR to beachgoers in distress, enforcing the rules of the beach (even on celebrities who didn’t want to hear from a teenager), and lots more. He served dutifully for eight years until his “retirement” in 2016.
What pulled him away from the lifeguard position he loved so well? The family business – firefighting.
Fireman Maxi
It wasn’t an easy transition. Maxi applied many times (five exactly) before he was finally accepted into the New South Wales (NSW) Fire and Rescue program at age 24. He then began his training at a college in Alexandria.
Serving his community and developing his skills as before, he rose through the ranks. He earned his Qualified Rescue Operator designation two years into his career, in 2018. This meant that he would be involved in high-stakes technical rescues, such as freeing people from car accidents and industrial mishaps. In 2022, he became a Senior Firefighter and now serves at Bankstown Fire Station in Western Sydney, one of Australia’s busiest rescue fire stations. He also frequently works with NSW Ambulance to assist with efforts to rescue people from complex and life-threatening car crashes.
He has spoken in interviews about the “gnarly” rescues he’s faced, including out-of-control fires and assisting police when tragedy strikes the community.
Live Learn Survive
In 2018, along with Leigh Mason, Maxi helped found a charity called Live Learn Survive (LLS) to teach fire and water safety to children. The organization has educated over 36,000 children across six countries.
LLS focuses on four key topics:
- Water safety. Understanding signs at the beach, identifying rip currents, and learning survival skills for open water.
- Fire safety. Learning “Get Out & Stay Out,” the importance of smoke alarms, and creating home escape plans.
- First Aid & CPR. Teaching the children how to take action in medical emergencies.
- Resilience. Making kids situationally aware and confident about helping others.
Programs and Impact
LLS delivers programming in the form of 1) “Safety Skills 4 Kids” workshops at schools, clubs, and libraries, and 2) “Maxi’s Rescue Squad,” a global online community for teens and young adults to learn skills through weekly videos and monthly learning sessions. A major focus is on providing free or subsidized education to children in underserved communities.
There’s even an LLS podcast if you want to “help yourself and help others.”
Return to Where It All Began: Bondi Beach
Maxi made his triumphant return in Season 14 of Bondi Beach and has been a regular presence even through the most current summer season in 2025. Maxi celebrated his 19th year on the sand at Bondi, and continues to balance his lifeguard duties with his work as a professional firefighter and as a director of Live Learn Survive.
Award-Winning Author and More
In 2018, Maxi authored his first book, and it was a great success. Maxi the Lifeguard: In Deep Water kicked off a series that has helped children learn about safety in an engaging way. The second book in the series, The Stormy Protest even won the Environment Award for Children’s Literature in 2019.
Maxi is an ambassador for a number of organizations, like Tourism Australia, Headspace, and The Royal Life Saving Society United Kingdom. He is also a proud father of a girl named Sunny Jayne with his wife, Tahlia.
A Day In The Life of a Hero
Fire is unpredictable. And once you step into it, there’s no room for hesitation. Selema Masekela learns that for himself as he steps into Maxi’s shoes on The Team Ignition Show. After reflecting on his busiest days ever on patrol at Bondi Beach, Maxi puts Selema through a series of real-world firefighting drills, exposing him to the physical and mental toll of working in environments where mistakes can be fatal.
Editor’s Note: This episode was filmed prior to the tragic December 2025 events at Bondi Beach. In the aftermath, Trent Maxwell and his fellow surf lifesavers displayed exceptional courage and professionalism in their response. While this article reflects the context of the filming and does not address the incident itself, it is important to acknowledge both the victims of the attack and the real-world heroism shown by Trent and his team beyond the screen.
