In one round, he used this fire to shoot 72.
“I remember being so nervous over that last hole
from the tee shot to that par putt,” said Dahlquist. “I
continue because I love the thrill of golf. One day you
can be hitting it so well then the next day, you can slice
it badly. This is why I work so hard.”
Refusing to let nerves get the best of him, he won
first place at a state tournament during his high school
years, a bronze medal at another state tournament and
would spend Sundays in competition with his Special
Olympics team.
“Special Olympics is like a family to me,” said
Dahlquist. “They have changed my life forever because
of the heart and passion all the state office workers
have to make sure we can always play events. I also love
that no matter if an athlete wins gold or not, they don’t
care. They are just happy to be playing sports.”
After more than 22 years of experience, one athlete
hopes to encourage others as well.
“For me, I just want to help people,” said 32-yearold Logan Murray of Columbus, Ohio. “I see so many
people who are having a bad day that I just want to
cheer them up. I think it’s about keeping the focus off
yourself and looking toward how you can help others.”
In those years of helping others, he has somehow
managed to fill up his shelves.
“I won the National Special Olympics Golf
Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2009 where I
shot a low score record of 73 in the last round of the
three-day tournament,” said Murray. “I [also] received
handwritten letters from Arnold Palmer and Jack
Nicklaus congratulating me for my achievement. That
was really cool.”
He won a gold medal for being a Louisiana State
Special Olympics Champion 10 times. He also won
a gold medal for being National Special Olympics
Champion twice, was a
one-time bronze medal
recipient at the World
Games in Athens, Greece,
named Louisiana Athlete
of the Year and held
the low 18-hole record
at the National Special
Olympics Tournament in
2009.
“I would not be the
golfer I am today without
Special Olympics,” said
Murray. It has afforded
me the opportunity to play
all over the United States
and the world. There is
no way I could have done
that on my own, and I am
very thankful.”
The golf program spans across Louisiana, hosting
teams in Shreveport, Lafayette, New Iberia, Monroe,
Lake Charles and Baton Rouge. The main state event
is held in Monroe each April. Those who qualify can
advance to national events like the Pro-Ams.
But to play in the USA Games and World Games,
the athletes must patiently wait four years.
“Joel [Murray] competed last year in Denmark,
because he’s one of the top Special Olympic golfers of
all time,” said Banos.
Even if an athlete is just starting out, he or she is
more than welcome to join.
“My hope is that our golf program continues to
grow throughout the state and we impact more and
more athletes that want to play golf,” said Banos.
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