Inspired by coach, Crispi's improvement through the roof

By Brian Towey for DyeStat

NEW YORK -- As a freshman at Monsignor Farrell NY, pole vaulter Charles Crispi, without a coach, cleared 11 feet. Then Crispi crossed paths with Jerry Cahill, the longtime coach of CHSAA rival Iona Prep.

"I actually just started coming around Farrell when Charles was a sophomore," Cahill said. "Somebody needed to help out, and I said, 'I'll help out, but I can't coach at both schools.'"

Two years later, Crispi, with Cahill's backing, has risen to become one of the top vaulters in the country. On Saturday at the U.S. Army Hispanic Games at The Armory, Crispi cleared 16-1, good for US#2.

"(Cahill's) really inspired me to jump higher," Crispi said. "He has cystic fibrosis. (But) with his coaching, I've improved so much."

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that causes damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs. At 61 years old, Cahill, a former pole vaulter at the University of Connecticut and with the New York Athletic Club, has out-lived the typical life expectancy of a person with cystic fibrosis by 22 years. Five years ago, he underwent a double lung transplant.

Cahill has been a fixture on the New York pole vaulting scene for 27 years, producing a slew of top vaulters at Iona Prep, like former prep 16-footer Greg Gallagher, who vaulted for the College of William & Mary. In Crispi, he might have his best prospect yet.

"I think 16-6 is a realistic goal (indoors)," Cahill said. "He missed 16-5 today, but I know and he knows that he can do it.

"Outdoors, I'd say (the goal) is 17 feet, but we could end up adjusting that."

Cahill stood starboard side at The Armory, outfitted in a black sweatshirt with the words "You can not fail." It's a mantra that Cahill uses for life, and for his vaulters, who wear the slogan on spandex shorts. It's a source of inspiration.

"My freshman year I wanted to jump 15 feet," Crispi said. "Then Coach Cahill came along. He showed me there's so much more than 15 feet."

The slogan derives from Cahill's youth.

"It comes from my parents," Cahill said."When you're sick, you're told, no matter what you do, you cannot fail.

"Not everybody's going to run a marathon, or pole vault 20 feet. But to get up and fight every day is important."

Cahill's lived a healthy life through rigorous discipline and a healthy diet. He's served for years as a volunteer for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which raises money and awareness for people with cystic fibrosis.

"I do a lot of grant-writing, a lot of speaking throughout the country," Cahill said. "I do podcasts. I have a documentary out.

"The foundation raises money for research for a cure. But Boomer also believes in giving back to people with cystic fibrosis in the here and now. We do a lot of scholarships, transplant grants, education programs to empower people with cystic fibrosis to have a good quality of life."

Cahill is still coaching two teams. Crispi, a humble athlete who works for his father's food-catering company some nights, cannot be stopped.

Together, they're a potent combination. And Crispi is the latest of many lives Jerry Cahill has touched.

For more information, see www.jerrycahill.com.