Olivia Wyrick began her waterpark career 26 years ago as a lifeguard, eventually turning her seasonal role into a full-time management position at Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe in North Carolina, where she worked for 11 years.
In early 2009, she seized an opportunity to broaden her knowledge and experience by joining Great Wolf Lodge Resorts & Waterpark in Concord, North Carolina, as the waterpark’s aquatics training manager. She managed all pre-opening training and operational development for the resort’s indoor waterpark, while also taking on additional responsibilities with the resort’s hotel operations.
After a successful opening and first quarter, Wyrick got a life-changing opportunity to work abroad at another resort waterpark. In late 2009, she moved to Dubai and began working at Atlantis Dubai as an operations manager at Aquaventure Waterpark. She managed the waterpark, pools, and beaches, gaining new skills with a diverse team.
In 2014, Wyrick was promoted to director of operations, where she continued to lead a team of more than 400 colleagues in the safe and successful daily operation of one of the world’s largest waterparks. Over the following years, she became involved in the expansion of the waterpark, participating in four separate developments, including the most recent, Trident Tower.
This addition introduced 28 more slides, an action river, and the region's first-ever cliff jumps to the Aquaventure attraction portfolio.
Following the successful opening of the new area in March 2021, Wyrick concluded her 11.5 years with Aquaventure and joined one of the Kingdom’s emerging mega projects, Qiddiya. Currently, she serves as the senior director of operations and aquatics for Aquarabia Water Theme Park, which will be the region’s largest water theme park, offering a wide range of attractions.
She was among the initial group to join the project in 2021, contributing to the design and development of the park’s attractions and facilities, as well as establishing the operational structure and teams.
Featuring world-class waterslides combined with white-water rafting and surfing waves in the desert, she looks forward to opening a world-class water theme park for all of Saudi Arabia to enjoy.
In addition to her extensive operational experience, her passion for safety and aquatic risk management over the past two decades has significantly influenced lifeguard and aquatic professional training and development in the region. This dedication and commitment to aquatic safety earned her recognition in January 2021 as a senior associate with Ellis and Associates, which specialises in risk management and aquatics.
Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.
