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Sarasota group proves anyone can return to the sport they love
Sean Barie reports
SARASOTA, Fla. - Steve Motycka remembered waking up from a coma and then hearing even worse news – he was diagnosed with cancer and only had mere months to live.
"I woke up and realized I had cancer and that's how it was," Motycka said.
That, however, was 18 years ago.
Aside from his family and friends, the game of golf helped keep Motycka alive. Motycka's wife, Kim, said they never thought he would walk again – or be out on the golf course.
Despite being told he was going to die, Motycka defied the odds and lived to see another day and continue playing golf. Now, thanks to a Sarasota group of adaptive golfers, those like Motycka can relearn to love the game of golf.
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"Golf is a game of life," said Doug Frazier, the group's head coach and former PGA professional. "We're always adapting to different situations."
Most in the Sarasota chapter of the Adaptive Golf Association are stroke survivors and only have partial use of their bodies. The group is the longest running in the country with the association.
The group is out to prove that their game knows no limits.
Alex DeBoissiere, who suffered a stroke in Arizona three years ago, has been using golf as an escape and as a therapy since 2021.
"Obviously when I had the stroke, I thought about my family, I thought about my work, I thought about a lot of things," said DeBoissiere. "Truthfully I did think a lot about if I'd ever get out on a golf course again."
The group meets every Thursday at Tatum Ridge Golf Links in Sarasota to enjoy the game they love.