Connor Jaeger, 24, of Fair Haven, won the Olympic silver medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle. Watch video
FAIR HAVEN -- Scores of people, mostly young children, lined up Wednesday night at the borough's annual Firemen's Fair to greet Fair Haven native Connor Jaeger, who recently won an Olympic silver medal in swimming at Rio de Janeiro.
"I feel like this is such an important part of athletics, to come back and give back any way that I can," Jaeger said in between signing pictures and snapping photos with fans. "I'm so appreciative and thankful that people are willing to go out of their way to support me."
Jaeger won the silver medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle. He set a new American record in the event when he finished the grueling distance race in 14:39.48.
In the 400-meter freestyle swimming final, Jaeger finished fifth in 3:44.16.
The 24-year-old Fair Haven native was a 10-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion at the University of Michigan. But he entered competitive swimming way before that. When he was 8 years old, Jaeger started swimming with the Central Jersey Aquatic Club.
NJ Advance Media columnist Steve Politi says Jaeger is one of the hardest working and under appreciated swimmers in the United States.
He is also quite humble, said Fair Haven Mayor Benjamin Lucarelli.
Lucarelli said the borough usually honors its championship teams with a convoy through town led by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. They offered to do the same for Jaeger.
But he didn't want the attention.
He agreed to do a meet and greet at the Firemen's Fair, which Lucarelli said is the "heart and soul of the town."
"We're all very proud of him," Lucarelli said. "The lesson for all these kids is with persistence and hard work you can achieve things people otherwise wouldn't think you could."
Jaeger is a relative newcomer to the 1,500; he didn't race it at Rumson-Fairhaven Regional High School. But he upped his training in college and now holds the American record for the event.
"There's a lot of great lessons of persistence in the Connor Jaeger story," Lucarelli said.
Jaeger's roots in Fair Haven run deep. His father Eric is a councilman in the borough, and the family has lived in Monmouth County for more than 20 years.
When Connor Jaeger was about 10 years old, Eric Jaeger took him to a parade in Middletown to celebrate Tom Wilkens, who won a bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Jaeger said seeing Wilkens with a bronze medal around his neck showed him that competing at such a high level wasn't out of reach.
Emma Grace Pedone, 10, was one of the first in line to greet Jaeger. She, too, swims for the Central Jersey Aquatic Club.
"It inspires me so much because he is on my swim team," Pedone said.
Tess Neary, 10, said she decided to join the swim team after watching the Olympics. She's been practicing ever since.
"It's so amazing," Neary said. "He's (Jaeger) such an inspiration to so many people and it's so great."
Eric Jaeger said it's great to see his son come home and share his joy with the residents he loves.
"He's been away for a long time," he said. "I know he's happy to be home."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.