Badgers Dugas receives CIS Swimming Student-Athlete Community award

Brock University women's swimmer Erica Dugas is the recipient of the CIS Swimming Student-Athlete Community award for her strong community involvement as a student-athlete.

"Brock University would like to congratulate Erica on her award at the CIS level," said Brock Director of Athletics Robert Hilson. "She is a tremendous community leader and has excelled as a student-athlete."

The fourth year Concurrent Education/Physical Education has been highly involved in the community over her four years at Brock while holding an 80+ academic average each year. She has been a three-time OUA Academic All-Star and three-time CIS Academic All-Canadian.

"Erica graduates this year after four years of leadership within our team," said Brock head coach Peter Bradstreet. "She continually demonstrates how it is possible to combine athletics, academics, and leadership into one package." 

Dugas is currently Chair of the Brock University Athletic Council and was a member of executive council in 2011-12. At Brock, she has also been a mentor for past three years in the IMPACT programme which brings together volunteer athletes to mentor one-on-one with troubled youth as role models.In the Niagara community she is co-coordinator of the Brock Niagara Penguins programme, a gym and swim programme for disabled youth in Niagara. She has acted as a volunteer coach with two local Special Olympics swim teams over the past four years.

This past summer she was part of an International Perspectives on Development through Sport, Health, and Physical Education class travelling to El Salvador. While in El Salvador, Dugas and her classmates used sport and games to teach kids life skills that will veer them away from the country's extreme youth violence.

Other community service includes coaching within the local swim club novice programme, volunteering within a local school and participating in the CIBC Run-for-the-Cure each year with the Badgers swim team.