The OP Rams Athletic Department is pleased to announce its partnership with 2012 OP graduate, Gerry DeFilippo. Since leaving Oratory, Gerry has made a name for himself in the fitness world, serving as the head trainer, owner, and operator of Challenger Strength in Wayne, which he founded in 2016.
Gerry announced the news on his Instagram page, writing, "It means a great deal to me to be coming home and bringing what we do for hundreds of athletes to Oratory, and also welcoming them to our facilities. Excited for what is to come, and more updates will follow!"
Mr. DeFilippo brings impressive experience to Oratory, having already secured a strong footing in the realm of athletic conditioning and fitness training. Under his proprietorship, Challenger Strength heads up the training and conditioning programs for the Jersey Hitmen, Gamers Baseball Academy and colleges like NJCU and Caldwell University. He orchestrates the programming and training for eight different Hitmen teams, which range all the way up to the Elite and Premier Junior's Level Programs.
Since 2016, Gerry has been a part of four Hitmen Founders Cup Regular Season Championship teams in the USPHL NCDC (Tier 2 Junior Hockey) and two Dineen Cup Championships. In addition, he has lead Challenger's expansion to Kenilworth New Jersey with training of Untamed Baseball at Gamers Baseball Academy alongside a growing Challenger Strength membership program.
In the same time period, Mr. DeFilippo has worked with over 100 college, college-bound, and professional athletes in multiple sports. He has served as an advisor to the New York Yankee's player development and consulted for colleges and coaching organizations. He has been published in industry magazines and has made speaker appearances at athletic and strength and conditioning conferences.
Apart from holding a BS in Management from Rutgers University, Mr. DeFilippo is both a Certified Physical Preparation Specialist and ISSA Certified Personal Trainer.