Ewing, NJ … The night before his swimming skills clinic for children at Special Olympics New Jersey was set to begin, Brian Perez (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) received a phone call. He was told not enough volunteers signed up for the program and they unfortunately had to cancel it.
 
Perez responded with a few phone calls of his own – to his teammates.
 
A senior on The College of New Jersey swimming and diving team, Perez asked fellow athletes if they would be willing to pitch in and help out with the Saturday sessions. In a matter of minutes, he was able to call SONJ back and tell them he had 10 volunteers with better-than-average swimming backgrounds.
 
"I wasn't surprised," noted Perez, who is a three-time All-American with the Lions. "I would do anything for them and we all help each other out whenever there is a need. We actually ended up with too many volunteers so I had to split them into groups."
 
Perez and his teammates meet with the athletes at SONJ every Saturday. The swimmers range from 5 to 11 years-of-age and are taught the basic skills of swimming. The opening session was mostly about getting the kids in the water and removing the element of fear, but as they sessions have progressed, the athletes are being taught to swim by a student-teacher ratio of 1 to 1.
 
"That could not have been scripted any better," said Carmen Bannon, Chief Program Development Officer. "We had a need and Brian filled the need by bringing his friends. He's been great a benefit for SONJ and has exceeded all expectations."
 
A health and exercise science major and TCNJ Scholar-Athlete, Perez is working with SONJ through an internship cultivated by Professor Avery Faigenbaum. During his time at SONJ, Perez has tutored and trained athletes to understand all the components necessary to achieving health and fitness. He has also facilitated medical staff at events, working with doctors and offering physicals to the athletes.
 
On Wednesday evenings, Perez coaches adult athletes in competitive swimming. According to 'coach' Perez, repetition is critical with the athletes and he hopes to see his mentoring pay off this summer when SONJ visits the campus of TCNJ for their annual Olympic event in June.
 
"The internship has been a rewarding experience both personally and from an educational standpoint," Perez said. "I've learned a lot about the importance of organization and communication when facilitating events. It's been great and I hope to continue working with Special Olympics New Jersey."
 
Perez still has some work to do as a competitive swimmer himself before moving on to his professional career. He is one of eight TCNJ swimmers to qualify for the 2015 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving National Championships held in Shenandoah, Tx. The Lions matched their best finish in program history in 2014 by placing sixth overall. The championship meet is set to open on Thursday, March 18.