SCITUATE, Mass. — Jake Reynolds was unflappable and nearly unstoppable between the pipes. Reynolds earned All-America honors at Springfield College and, before that, he shattered the Massachusetts all-time saves record while at Scituate High. He was the first goalie in state history to record 1,000 career saves.
And it wasn’t just lacrosse, Reynolds also excelled in cross-country, where he was named All-State.
“It’s kind of my escape for whatever it be, two hours of practice, two and a half hours, that was kind of my scapegoat for the time being, so I didn’t really let it affect me. I used it as motivation more than anything,” he said.
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The 25-year-old Reynolds has used that motivation to defy the odds since he was a little boy. He was born with cystic fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that can cause deadly mucus build-ups within organs, including the lungs. There is no cure and, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the life expectancy of people with the disease is 46 years old.
“I’m trying to take it out of the lens. Obviously, I have CF, but I am trying to make it better for other patients and other individuals that are going through the disease and benefit as much as I have,” Reynolds said.
That’s why Reynolds and his best friend from childhood, Matt Gavis, launched a non-profit called Closing The Gap Foundation. The goal for the former star goalie is to search for a cure and help provide a higher quality of life for those affected by CF. That would be Jake Reynolds’ most important save of his life.
The Closing The Gap Foundation has, so far, raised $100,000 in the fight against cystic fibrosis. Reynolds, along with his doctor and a group of cf patients, plans to run this year’s Boston Marathon.
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