Teen’s one-armed swing scores praise from golf legends: 'She is so cool!'
A video of 16-year-old Kendal Kemm’s golf lesson caught the eyes of some major pros.
Kemm lost the ability to use her left arm in 2014 after undergoing radiation treatment for a rare condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which is when there is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries in the brain.
Kemm’s mom, Leslie Gudel, tweeted a video of Kemm practicing her swing with her right arm. According to Gudel, Kemm had “fell in love” with golf the year before losing functionality in her arm, so it was her first time back in the game in several years.
Five years ago my daughter, Kendall, lost use of her left hand after having radiation to treat her brain #AVM. Last week she embraced the idea of learning to play one-handed & had her first lesson. It will take some time but she’s on her way #proudmom #resiliency #avmsurvivor pic.twitter.com/gOBtxmomq5
— Leslie Gudel (@lesliegudel) July 26, 2020
The incredible video has accumulated over 1 million views and a flood of support and praise from strangers online. But there are a couple of names Gudel and Kemm recognized, including golf legend Nick Faldo who posted his own video with some tips for Kemm.
@lesliegudel lesson 1 🏌️♂️⛳️#FaldoFormula pic.twitter.com/17bbvVNA25
— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) July 28, 2020
Phil Mickelson caught a glimpse of Gudel’s video too and replied, “She is so cool!”
I LOVE THIS!!
She is so cool!!— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) July 29, 2020
Gudel told USA Today that Kemm grew up loving sports and adjusting to her new circumstances was tough but certainly didn’t deter her from trying. Prior to picking up golf again, Kemm was playing softball and threw the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game in Cleveland.
She throws one handed, too. Just as @jtomlin43 😊 Whatever you’re dealing with, you’ve got this!! Good luck. pic.twitter.com/ndnpI0pcd6
— Leslie Gudel (@lesliegudel) July 26, 2020
“She’s a teenage girl. She doesn’t feel so normal a lot of times,” Gudel told USA Today. “To have a sport for her that she can carry on and she can feel normal in is so great. We try not to look at these things as obstacles. We try to look at them as opportunities.”
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