Tony Barrett's parents had a hard time keeping him out of the sea once he learnt to crawl, so they eventually gave in and taught him to swim at the tender age of two.
Ever since then, not a day has gone by that he hasn't wanted to swim and nowadays the 55-year-old is in the water at least five days out of seven.
On Wednesday, Barrett competed in the masters events on the beach and in the Atlantic Ocean at the South African lifesaving championships at Camps Bay in Cape Town, garnering six gold, three silver and two bronze medals in 11 events.
Not bad for someone who's had a double heart-bypass op and who, just before Christmas, donated one of his kidneys to his wife June.
"It left a terrible scar and it (the operation) was very painful," said Barrett. But the pain was worth it. "It (the kidney) worked immediately. The difference it made to her was amazing."
A week-and-a-half after the kidney operation Barrett was back in the water.
"Fortunately I heal well," he said.
The masters event for those over 55 years old is a relatively new category in South African lifesaving competitions and took place on the first day of the championship.
Barrett has represented Western Province in lifesaving competitions on 76 different occasions and South Africa six times. He is contemplating setting up a display to house the 181 medals he's gathered over the years, though he jokes that he knows what he could do with the pennants.
The little flags he's gathered over the years are enough to cover four walls of any room in his Ottery home.
A qualified lifesaver, Barrett recently started running in-house for a Milnerton security company after working for a tobacco company for many years.
He started surf lifesaving at the age of 20 and has kayaked, surfed, swum or gone diving ever since then, basically any sport as long as it is in the water.
"I've always lived at the coast. I've lived sport all my life. If I had a bit of flu, I would get the DTs if I couldn't get into the water," said Barrett.
Known as Bones to many people on the beach, Barrett now teaches a swimming class three times a week and is also involved in training nippers (junior lifesavers).
He got the nickname in his younger days when he looked as if he was just skin and bones.
"I jumped on a scale one day and the guys couldn't believe my weight," said Barrett.
He's got some impressive tattoos on his shoulders and chest, the legacy of time spent in the French Foreign Legion.
But the most impressive is the scar on his abdomen. This particular scar involved saving a life, but had nothing to do with water.
Barrett is the first one to call himself overly active, but the hyperactivity also means a low resting heart rate. Coupled with the sheer amount of exercise he gets, he's pretty fit.
The double heart bypass two years ago to correct a congenital artery defect was followed by a return to the water after only three-and-a-half weeks.