Jericho coach's life with celiac disease
When Craig Pinto was diagnosed with celiac disease 11 years ago, it was a devastating setback for a young athlete with professional aspirations. Beset by abdominal cramps and lethargy, the promising young place-kicker dropped out of the Hofstra University football program in 1999, after his second season.
Celiac is a hereditary digestive condition (Pinto's mother and one of his sisters also have the diagnosis) and autoimmune disorder. It is triggered by ingesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Damage to the small intestine and vitamin deficiencies can develop if the diet isn't adjusted to exclude foods containing those grains.
The diagnosis was the second health blow to Pinto, who had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 12.
But the setback proved temporary. And Pinto, now 33, of Mineola, has managed to live a healthy life and fulfill his dream of playing professional football.
He spent two seasons as a place-kicker for the New Jersey Revolution of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). The team folded in June, but Pinto, a graduate of Jericho High School, continues to be involved in athletics as a football coach at the district's middle school. He also works for a Hicksville-based university placement service that helps high school students who aspire to play sports in college.
Pinto recently set a Guinness World Record for the most football field goals kicked in 12 hours: 717 40-yard goals, which he kicked as part of a fundraiser for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He raised more than $5,000.
He answered some questions from Newsday on life with celiac:
How do you deal with celiac disease on a day-to-day basis?
It is really just watching my daily intake for every meal. There's a lot that I can't eat . . . Any supermarket locally that has a gluten-free section is my favorite store. As of now, that's really the only thing to do for celiac disease.
How does it affect your ability to perform as an athlete?
For a while . . . I thought I couldn't be any sort of functional athlete. You see everybody else in college sports eating pasta and carb loading. As I got older, I reformed my diet to be able to have that kind of energy and have that strength as an athlete. Quinoa pasta, rice pasta, there are protein-based shakes that are gluten-free. Grilled chicken, turkey, salad, fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free . . . Being able to be an athlete got a little bit easier.
Did you have to give up on any of your hopes and aspirations?
Most of the college kids were hoping for an NFL career. When I got diagnosed, that was out the window. However, things worked out down the road, and I was able to . . . get into the AIFA.
Beyond sports, how does it affect your life?
It affects my wallet a lot worse than if I could go pick up a regular loaf of bread and a dozen bagels . . . It's given me an outlet to be a positive person in the celiac community. When I speak to parents and kids that are newly diagnosed, I can have a positive message, that I felt the same way and went through the same thing, but being physically able enough to be an athlete is possible . . . it's not like a life sentence.
How does a person with celiac disease cope with daily life?
The main thing is to be cautious with diet. In going out, be very careful with cross contamination at restaurants . . . [so you don't eat] something from a restaurant where they have used a grill to grill bread. There are a lot of restaurants that offer gluten-free menus in Manhattan, and Bare Naked Bakery & Cafe in Bellmore is strictly gluten-free.
What advice do you offer others who have celiac disease?
I try to stress that you can live a healthy life even with the disease. It's not something where you have to physically shut down. It takes work, it takes an effort and it really takes a lot of persistence to make yourself feel good.
