Jerry learned to swim at the relatively late age of 13, when he was at a sleep-away camp called Project Morry in upstate NY. Until that point, he was terrified of being in deep water -- and vividly recalls that anxious feeling of being out of his depth. Developing water comfort took some time and it wasn’t until he was 16 that he fully overcame his fears and felt totally comfortable in deep water. Fear transformed to a love of swimming -- and a desire to give back. He took a lifeguard course at the same upstate camp and became certified to watch over and keep young campers safe in and around pools and lakes. When he returned to the city after his 16th summer, Jerry joined a swim team -- Los Tiburones at the BCNY Gerry Clubhouse in East Harlem, NY, where he also began work as a lifeguard and swim instructor. When he's not working at the pool, Jerry also serves in the military as a reservist for the U.S Marines. His primary job in the Marines involves working as an IT specialist, but he also plans to offer swim instruction to his fellow Marines as well. As someone who learned as a teenager, Jerry is uniquely able to empathize with those fearful of the water -- and help them overcome that fear.