Grant Wahl, soccer journalist who died in Qatar, made impact in Baltimore, Fells Point neighborhood
BALTIMORE - Grant Wahl, a popular American sports journalist known for his coverage of soccer, had ties to Baltimore.
Wahl, who died on Dec. 10 while covering a World Cup soccer match, lived in Fells Point while his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, was a postdoctoral fellow and research associate at Johns Hopkins University in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
According to the non-profit group "Craig Willinger Fund," the established voice of international soccer in the United States called Slaínte Irish Pub and Restaurant in Fells Point his soccer home.
During his time in Baltimore, Wahl wrote stories, watched midweek Champions League matches with diehard fans, and launched his first book THE BECKHAM EXPERIMENT: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America from the Fells Point pub.
"Craig Willinger Fund" chairperson Emily Aguede said Slaínte was also the place where Grant became friends with founder Craig Willinger, who was diagnosed with terminal chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2007.
Agueda said Craig used soccer as a source of joy and escape during his diagnosis and treatment until he died in 2012.
After receiving a gift of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Allianz Field–the home of Bayern Munich–from a local Liverpool FC supporters club, Willinger shared with Wahl his dream to provide world-class soccer experiences to other fans with cancer.
"Grant Wahl was a constant means of support to the Craig Willinger Fund from our early days in 2009," Agueda said. "He helped launch our charity with a book launch event and fundraiser at Slaínte, elevated awareness of our organization through his stories and interviews about our mission and honorees, and selflessly shared his industry connections with us, opening numerous doors. It is impossible to measure the loss to the soccer community from Grant's death at 49 years of age. We can only hope that the stories of Grant's excellence and generosity are a comfort to Céline, his brother Eric, and all who loved him."
According to Agueda, the Craig Willinger Fund, formed in 2009, seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults stricken with cancer and other critical illnesses by providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience world-class soccer—both domestically and abroad.
Wahl died Saturday at the age of 49. CNN reports Wahl collapsed Friday while covering the Argentina-Netherlands soccer match after he "felt ill."
The circumstances around his death are unknown.