Will Ferrell Drops Ice Skates, Dons Speedo

Now that Will Ferrell has ice-skating down, he’s hitting the pool.

Ferrell, star of the recently released comedy “Blades of Glory,” will join Southern California coach Pete Carroll and the Trojans in a swimming fundraiser Saturday at the McDonald’s Swim Stadium on campus.

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Following their final spring practice at adjacent Howard Jones Field, the Trojans will swim a position-by-position relay race, joined by the USC Song Girls. Carroll and Ferrell will take part in a “Pete vs. Will Challenge” as well.

The 27th annual swim-a-thon, known as “Swim With Mike,” hopes to raise more than $800,000 for the physically challenged athletes scholarship fund at USC. The benefit has raised $6.3 million to provide more than 60 scholarships to USC and 14 other universities to athletes who have overcome serious accidents or illnesses.

The swim-a-thon began in 1981 when friends and teammates of three-time USC All-American swimmer Mike Nyeholt decided to raise money to help him recover from a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed.

What was to be a one-time event, the benefit raised $58,000, and at Nyeholt’s suggestion, the excess donations were used to establish the scholarship fund.

Nyeholt joined other swimmers to help raise money the next year, and the swim-a-thon became an annual event. Stanford and Hawaii are also holding “Swim With Mike” events on April 21.