The 21-year-old lifesaver who refused to let youth voices be ignored

Published on 30 January 2026

"Youth don't really have a seat at the table," Mornington Peninsula 2026 Young Citizen of the Year Reagan Morel realised. So at just 19, he built one himself.

As inaugural Chair of Life Saving Victoria's Junior Advisory Committee, Reagan gave an entire generation of young lifesavers the voice they'd been denied.

"We're the ones on the beach saving lives every day," he says. "We're the ones competing and representing our clubs at state and national levels."

It's a far cry from the five-year-old who first walked into Mornington Life Saving Club, unsure and uncertain. Now, after 15 years of service as Patrol Vice-Captain, committee member and mentor, Reagan's quiet leadership has reshaped youth engagement across Victoria.

But his impact doesn't stop at the beach. Through The Reach Foundation, Reagan travels across the state running mental health workshops, bringing conversations about wellbeing to schools that have never had them. Here on the Peninsula, from Port Phillip camps to Mornington classrooms, he's creating spaces where young people can finally talk about what matters.

"I had role models who made me feel really important at this club," Reagan reflects. "Giving that back to other young people—making everyone feel safe, valued and wanted—that's what drives me."

From a nervous under-six to a state youth leader, Reagan's journey proves that sometimes the biggest changes come from the quietest voices finally being heard.

Watch the full video below to hear Reagan's story.