Jeremy Bloom

Jeremy Bloom

Jeremy Bloom (born April 2, 1982) is the only athlete in history to ever ski in the Winter Olympics and also be drafted into the National Football League. As a skier, he is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian, and 11-time World Cup Gold Medalist. He became the youngest freestyle skier in history to be inducted into the United States Skiing Hall of Fame in 2013.^[1] He won a record six straight World Cup events, the most in a single season in the sport's history until Mikael Kingsbury won seven straight events in a single season, twice, and 13 straight events over two seasons. As a football player, he was an All-American at the University of Colorado Boulder and, although he never appeared in a regular-season game, was signed to play professional football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In January 2008, Bloom founded the Wish of a Lifetime Charity, which grants lifelong wishes to 80, 90, and 100+ year old people (Wishofalifetime.org). The non-profit has granted over 1000 wishes in 46 states.^[2][3]

In April 2010, Bloom founded the marketing software company Integrate. The company has raised over $42 million of venture capital from Comcast, Foundry Group and Liberty Global. Integrate was named as the "Best New Company" at the American Business Awards in New York City. Forbes Magazine called Bloom one of the 30 most influential people in technology under the age of 30.^[4]

In 2013, Bloom was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.^[5] Integrate has offices in Denver, Colorado, Scottsdale, Arizona, New York City, San Francisco and Boston.

He is also a College Football and Olympic Sports Television Analyst and has worked for ESPN, Fox, NBC and The Pac-12 Network.^[6]

Personal life

Bloom was born in Loveland, Colorado, the son of Charlene, a ski and fly fishing instructor, and Larry Bloom, a clinical psychologist.^[7] His older sister, Molly Bloom, ran an underground poker ring and is played by Jessica Chastain in the film Molly's Game, with Kevin Costner playing their father.^[8] His cousin is ice hockey player Colby Cohen.^[9] Bloom's father is Jewish and his mother is Christian.^[10]

Bloom helped lead both his football and track teams to state championships. In his freshman year, Bloom played quarterback and defensive back. He switched to receiver in his sophomore year and played on the junior varsity football team. In his senior year, his team defeated Lakewood in the state playoffs with a score of 35–12. He accepted a full scholarship to play college football at the University of Colorado Boulder. As a track athlete, Bloom helped lead his high school track team to back-to-back Class 5A state championship titles his junior and senior year. He competed in the 100 m, 200 m, 4 × 100 m and 4x400 meter.

Bloom studied karate from age five and earned a first degree black belt at 12. He continues to study mixed martial arts.

Bloom completed a real estate and finance entrepreneurship degree at The Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Bloom now lives in New York City, New York.^[11]

Bloom was a keynote speaker at MozCon 2014.

On or about May 30, 2018, Bloom, 36, became engaged to one-time soap actress Mariah Buzolin, age 27. The couple currently lives together in downtown Denver but is building a new home in Boulder, CO.

Skiing career

Jeremy Bloom

Medal record Men's freestyle skiing Representing  United States World Championships FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships Dual Moguls Deer Valley Moguls Ruka Dual Moguls

Bloom grew up skiing in Keystone, Colorado. By 15, Bloom became the youngest male freestyle skier to ever make The United States Ski Team. By 14, Bloom was a National Champion and by 19 he was a World Champion. From 2002 to 2004, he performed a balancing act with his university school work, college football and the world cup skiing tour. One month after he was named to the 1st Team Freshman All-American list for college football, he won the World Championship Dual's Gold Medal at the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in Deer Valley, Utah. In 2005, he dominated FIS World Cup Tour becoming the first freestyle skier to ever win six straight races in a single season. He ended 2005 as the #1 ranked freestyle skier in the world and number one in moguls for the second time (also 2002). After the 2006 Olympics, Bloom focussed his attention solely on football. However, on November 24, 2008, he announced his intention to attend the United States ski team's training camp to assess the possibility of a 2010 return to Olympic skiing.^[12] On December 16, 2008, Bloom was added to the 39 man roster of the U.S. Ski Team.

College football career

Bloom was a wide receiver and punt returner for the University of Colorado Boulder football team. As a freshman, he was selected to the first-team Freshman All-America list by collegefootballnews.com and the FWAA. He set many school records during his two years playing football for the Colorado Buffaloes, including a 96-yard (88 m) touchdown reception, the longest in school history. After a long fought battle with the NCAA to keep his skiing hopes alive for the 2006 Winter Olympics the NCAA declared him permanently ineligible, cutting short his college football career by two years. He went on to regain his #1 in the world skiing ranking in 2005 and competed for the United States in the 2006 Olympics. Two days after the 2006 Turin Olympics Bloom flew to Indianapolis to compete in the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NCAA has since changed the rules on amateurism so that student-athletes are only ineligible for a sport if they accept money for that sport. Under these rules, Bloom would be ineligible to ski for the Colorado team, but would be eligible to compete in all other sports, including football.

Professional football career

Philanthropy

In the spring of 2008, Bloom launched The Donna Wheeler Foundation. Based in his home state of Colorado, the foundation was originally named in honor of his 82-year-old grandmother. The name was later changed to the Jeremy Bloom Wish of a Lifetime Foundation "to establish a solid brand identity."^[16] The non-profit, 501(c)(3) foundation's mission is to help low income seniors experience their lifelong wishes.

Other ventures

Leading up to the 2006 NFL draft, Bloom, along with fellow rookies Vernon Davis and A. J. Hawk, appeared in ads for Under Armour's new line of football cleats, with the slogan "Click Clack (I think they hear us coming)." He was also the feature in an ABC Olympic commercial and 80-hour fitness commercial.

Bloom has also landed modeling jobs with Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F:Rising Stars Christmas 2004), GQ Magazine and Cosmopolitan magazine. He was also a frequent guest host on Video Stew on Palladia and was a VJ for the channel. He has appeared on magazine covers; Cargo, Outside, Sports Illustrated on Campus, Hooked on the Outdoors, and Mile High Sports.

In March 2003, Bloom won the 30th annual CBS Superstars Competition in Jamaica; he defeated nine professional athletes that included Dexter Jackson, Ahman Green, Will Allen^[17] and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward. He ran a 100-yard (91 m) dash in 9.41 seconds, .01 off the events record set by Joey Galloway. He donated his $45,000 prize money to help build youth football fields in his hometown of Loveland, Colorado.

After football practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, he interned for well-known professor and economist Peter Linneman.

In Warren Miller's 55th ski movie Higher Ground, Bloom narrated almost the entire movie with Warren only contributing a few lines.

In 2012, Bloom participated in dating game show The Choice.^[18]

World Cup Skiing Results

In Bloom’s four years of competing on the World Cup Tour, he won 11 Gold Medals and earned 26 World Cup Podiums. He competed in 49 World Cup Races during those four years, achieving a podium 53% of the time.

References

External links

• U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Philadelphia Eagles bio
• Pittsburgh Steelers bio
• The Wish of a Lifetime