Champion and Mentor, Joe Giallombardo's death: For all his contributions, a grave loss to the gymnastics community
Seven-time NCAA all-round champion, Joe Giallombardo, passed away of natural causes on October 13 this year, leaving a void in the gymnastics community behind him.
A resident of Illinois, Giallombardo used to be a star gymnast at the University of Illinois back in the 1930s.
He was certainly a lively and sharp young man in his day. A stereotypically playful frat boy at the time, he emptied quite a few pockets by betting on his flawless acrobatic skills.
An anecdotal recall from those days is the time the daredevil did a handstand walk up and down the triple-story Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house banister without falling.
"That's how he funded his dates with (his wife) Edith," Helen Giallombardo, his daughter-in-law said. "Every nickel and every dime was a date at the local eatery back then".
Giallombardo’s childhood was nothing short of a test for him and his brothers, who spent four years at an orphanage following the tragic death of their mother in 1924. His father, a Sicilian immigrant, was a labourer.
Giallombardo was the youngest amongst his seven siblings, and the first within his family to have pursued college education.
His son now recalls Giallombardo’s optimistic outlook towards life, whereby even the hardships he had suffered as a kid were reminisced in good humour by the gymnast-turned-coach.
"He always looked for the good in things and made the best out of a dire situation," Jay, his son, said.
Before college, Giallombardo was a student and gymnast at East Technical High School in Cleveland with multiple state championships titles to his claim.
His honed talent and potential was recognized by the Illinois State University scouts who offered Giallombardo NCAA eligibility. And so began his NCAA title streak in 1938.
He went on to lead the Illini team to two titles, while securing seven for himself, three of which were earned consecutively.
For 40 years his title-winning record stood unmatched and unbroken, until 1982 and 1984, respectively.
The record challenger, and subsequently the record breaker too, was Jim Hartung from the University of Nebraska.
Giallombardo’s warm and open personality and his strong sense of sportsmanship had shone through at the 1984 Summer Olympics when he came to watch Hartung break his title record and commended him too.
“That was a real thrill for me to be here. I have followed Hartung's career since he was in high school. He's been my idol. He's a great athlete,” He said.
On retiring from the competition arena, Giallombardo assumed the physical education trainer’s position at the New Trier High School, Chicago, and stayed there till 1975, except for years 1942-1946, whereby he became a training officer in the Navy.
In 1941, he got married to Edith Cramer, and raised a family of three daughters and a son with her.
He was also actively involved in gymnastics as a coach and judge till his retirement in 1975. Among the notable events judged by him are: Big Ten Conference Championships and NCAA National Gymnastics Championships.
He received the prestigious Olympic Judges Diploma at the 20th World Games, Dallas, TX.
Giallombardo received numerous awards for his services and contributions to the sport of gymnastics.
In 1976, he earned the honour coach award. He also received the Honorary Lifetime Member Award given by the College Coaches Association.
In 1966, he was given the Helms Hall of Fame Award. The same year witnessed his induction into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. In 1980 he was included in the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.
The legend had touched many lives on his trail to greatness, his own journey being his sole motivation to give others the required boost and recognition. Indeed, ‘Coach Joe’ is a tremendous loss to the gymnastics community.
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