It is now 3 months and a week since my accident. I started walking unaided just 6 days ago. Since that time, I have been thinking a lot about my friend Dennis. We all have our stories, and if you have a moment, I would like to share the Dennis Walter’s Story.
Dennis is my friend, my neighbor, and my inspiration. In 1974, Dennis was a young athlete aspiring to be on the PGA tour. At the age of 24, he severed his spinal column in a golf cart accident. He was paralyzed from the waist down and would NEVER move his legs again! There was no hope, there was no cure and there was certainly not promise of ever returning to “normal”. Life as he knew it had permanently changed. Not only was his spinal column severed, but also his dreams.
Now, 40 plus years later, Dennis’ accomplishments are beyond measure. In the world of golf, he has received some of the most prestigious awards including the USGA’s highest honor, The Bobby Jones Award. His challenges were immense and yet he never quit inventing new ways to reach his dreams. Dennis has been on the road for 42 years inspiring others both on and off of the golf course. During that time, The Dennis Walters Show has toured every state and taken him more than 3 million miles. In June of 2019, even Dennis was shocked when he received a phone call announcing that he had been voted into the International Golf Hall of Fame.
Dennis is a “Man with a Mission”. “If there is something you really want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem, with enough hard work and perseverance, you can do it,” says Dennis. Even Covid could not shut down Dennis’ Mission. When his 2020 golf tour was canceled, Dennis continued to share his story, this time in a documentary. Dennis’ belief in being the creator of his own dreams has taken him to heights that are unimaginable for most of us. Dennis has defied all odds and has a lifetime of accomplishments that speak to the fact that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!