Jerry Cahill

Gerard (Jerry) Cahill
Jerry Cahill, founder of Team Boomer
Born	June 27, 1956 (1956-06-27) (age 55) Brooklyn, New York
Nationality	United States

Gerard (Jerry) Cahill was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 27, 1956. He is the Volunteer Director for Grants and Scholarships at the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) and the founder of Team Boomer, the organization’s athletic arm whose purpose is to raise money for BEF and the Exercise for Life Scholarship.

Early life

At age 11, Cahill was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that attacks the lungs and digestive system. The life expectancy for those diagnosed with the disease hadn’t yet reached 20.

Cahill attended grammar school at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn, NY. He attended high school at neighboring Xaverian High School. At the urging of his father, Cahill participated in football, baseball and basketball. He settled on track and field and eventually went on to compete for University of Connecticut. He graduated cum laude from the University of Connecticut in 1978 with a degree in psychology.

Early Career

Cahill’s professional career began to gain traction during his tenure with the apparel company Joseph Abboud. By 2003, he was the company’s Vice President of Sportswear Sales. He continued to maintain an active lifestyle and competed as pole vaulter for the New York Athletic Club, where he achieved a personal best of 16’ 10 ¾”. But after 27 years in the apparel business, the grueling schedule and constant stress began to take its toll, and Jerry decided it was time to refocus his energies.

In 2004, he was forced to leave the apparel industry altogether due to complications with cystic fibrosis.

Views and Beliefs

In December 2004, he joined the Boomer Esiason Foundation. He presently directs all grants and scholarships for the foundation. Under his leadership, BEF launched the Team Boomer in 2007 – Fighting Cystic Fibrosis athletic program, as well as the Exercise for Life scholarship for CF student-athletes. Jerry’s ultimate goal is ensuring that exercise and therapy compliance become a way of life for all people with CF.^[1] By 2010, the foundation’s athletic arm had raised a total of nearly $2 million.

As part of his efforts to educate the greater public about cystic fibrosis, Cahill continues to produce his own podcasts, namely, Jerry Cahill’s CF Podcast and Jerry Cahill’s CF Wind Sprints. The CF Podcast highlights individuals within the CF community. The CF Wind Sprints provides the CF community with tips for living well with cystic fibrosis.

Awards

In 2008, Cahill was inducted into the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s Hall of Fame.

In May 2011, Cahill was named a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.^[2]

In June 2011, Jerry Cahill was inducted into the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Hall of Fame for his contributions as a pole vault coach at Iona Preparatory School.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Jerry Cahill — Blooming Rose Foundation". Bloomingrosefoundation.org. http://www.bloomingrosefoundation.org/breathe-believe-bloom/professional-panel/jerry-cahill/. Retrieved 2011-06-16. 
2. ^ "Listing". Neco.org. http://www.neco.org/profileList.php?list=c. Retrieved 2011-06-16. 
3. ^ http://esiason.org/index.php/bef/blog_post/jerry-cahill-inducted-into-chsaa-hall-of-fame

External links

• 2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipients
• Boomer Esiason Foundation Team Post
• List of People Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis

Persondata
Name	Cahill, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 27, 1956
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York
Date of death
Place of death