Kennedi Lee’s journey to turning into knowledgeable golfer is a narrative of resilience, ardour, and breaking by means of obstacles. As a graduate scholar at Texas Southern College (TSU), Lee will not be solely excelling in sports activities but additionally inspiring younger Black girls to see new prospects for themselves in athletics. With arduous work and dedication, she’s proven that it’s doable to grasp a couple of sport in life, whether or not it’s on the course, within the classroom, or inside her group.
Lee’s path to golf didn’t comply with the standard route. Rising up in Mansfield, Texas, she wasn’t launched to the game by a member of the family or coach. As a substitute, all of it started with a sport of Wii Sports activities together with her brother. “My mother and father, figuring out I used to be actually lively, requested what I used to be going to do subsequent. I named 5 sports activities, and golf was one in every of them,” Lee remembers. “I didn’t know anybody who performed golf, however I made a decision to present it a attempt. The one expertise I had was from enjoying Wii Sports activities with my little brother.”
That easy introduction sparked one thing deeper. “Golf felt like a puzzle that I wanted to resolve. It was difficult, and I received actually hooked on it,” she says. What began as a passion rapidly changed into a ardour, and Leei discovered herself diving headfirst into the game, in the end pursuing it on the collegiate stage.
Her journey, nevertheless, wasn’t with out its challenges. As one of many few Black ladies in highschool golf tournaments, Lee typically felt misplaced. “In highschool, I used to be typically the one Black woman within the subject. It turned one thing I received used to, however I by no means actually considered it as a problem till in a while,” she displays. “After I began enjoying, I didn’t see anybody who regarded like me, however I wished to show that I belonged on the course similar to anybody else.”
Decided to show herself, Lee went on to Texas Southern College for grad faculty, the place she not solely pursued her ardour for golf but additionally studied sports activities administration. “Being a student-athlete taught me time administration and steadiness every thing, which is one thing I’ll carry with me for the remainder of my life,” Lee stated. “Golf, like life, teaches you deal with each the great and the unhealthy. It’s all about taking your pictures, each on and off the course.”
Lee’s dedication to excellence extends past her personal achievements. She’s additionally devoted to giving again to her group. By her internship with the I’m a Golfer Basis, Lee labored with younger folks in underserved areas, introducing them to the sport she loves. “Teaching children in Dallas — particularly those that’d by no means had the possibility to play — motivated me to maintain pushing,” she says. “I wish to be somebody they will look as much as, somebody who reveals them that regardless of the place they arrive from, their goals are doable.”
Seeking to the long run, Lee is concentrated on leaving a legacy within the sport she’s come to like. “At first, I didn’t see myself as a pioneer. However now, I notice that I’m serving to to pave the way in which for different younger Black ladies who wish to pursue golf,” she says. “If I can encourage only one particular person to select up a golf membership, then I’m doing my job.”
Lee’s story proves that mastering “all of the video games” is about far more than excelling in only one space of life. From her begin with Wii Sports activities to turning into a rising star in skilled golf, Lee’s journey is a strong reminder that with ardour, persistence, and the appropriate mindset, something is feasible. As she continues to interrupt down obstacles and lead by instance, Lee is paving the way in which for the subsequent technology of Black girls in sports activities, exhibiting them that there are not any limits to what they will obtain.
