❝ LIAM KANG IS A 24 YEAR OLD LIFEGUARD AND SWIM COACH, LOOKS A LOT LIKE J JUN, & HE IS ORIGINALLY FROM NORTHRIDGE, CA 🌞
Liam was born an raised in Northridge, California. He was always an expressive and energetic kid, and he always felt loved. Thanks to his parents’ constant support, he and his siblings were active and connected to their community. They were always there in the stands or assembly floor for every event and awards ceremony, and the children always felt that they had a purpose and place in the world.
As part of their usual activities, Liam’s parents sent the three children to swimming lessons every summer. Liam took to it naturally, and the others enjoyed the chance to play around in the pool in the heavy heat. As the kids got older, they aged out of the lessons, opting instead for other activities in the rec center. Liam stuck to it, however, joining the junior swim group and learning how to swim competitively.
When he was in junior high, Liam joined the next division of the swim team at the local parks and recreation center. It was there that he met a group of students that attended his new school. They often invited him to go on surfing trips, and he quickly grew to love it - even if he fell into the water more often than he stood up. His parents weren’t sure about surfing as an activity - it seemed dangerous and they’d heard horror stories about surfers getting hurt in reckless situations. Still, Liam seemed to be level headed and deeply passionate. They let him go on a few trips with friends’ families, but Liam wanted to be more serious about it. When he asked for a board for his birthday, they told him they would look into it - and were shocked at the prices. They made an agreement with him. If Liam could save enough for half of a board, they would let him buy it and practice with his friends in preparation to join a surf club.
He mowed more lawns and did more chores than he felt he had in his life, and a week before his birthday, he had the money he needed to get his board. Liam was over the moon to have his own, and he started practicing when his friends took trips to the beach. He joined a local competitive team, and Liam had another love on his hands.
Liam went on to be the captain of his swim team in high school, as well as entering a few surf competitions. He earned some money as a competitive surfer and got a sponsorship from a local surf shop. When it came time to decide on a college, Liam was worried that his family wouldn’t approve of his future plans. He wasn’t sure that they would take it seriously. Still, he told them of his plans to become a certified swim coach, doing seasonal work to allow for a flexible schedule. His family assumed that he would eventually want to do something bigger, such as coach Olympic athletes, but Liam explained that he just wanted to be comfortable and do what he loved.
Though his siblings teased him at first, the family did what they always did and supported him. Liam went on to get his coaching and lifeguard certifications, and he started seasonal work in his hometown. He worked as a lifeguard in a local waterpark for two years before setting his sights on the beach. With money he’d saved while living with his parents, he moved to Venice Beach and got work as an assistant swim coach. He lifeguards in the summer, between swim lessons at the rec center. Liam still surfs in his free time, and he has aspirations of becoming a huge surfing star, but he’s unsure of his own abilities and the viability as a career. He still fantasizes from time to time that he could surf as a job, but in the meantime, he enjoys is at a hobby and an occasional way to make extra money.
LIAM IS PLAYED BY : CHARLIE