This Talented Athlete Keeps Reaching Up For New Accomplishments
D.J. La Marr can bowl a strike, hit a grand slam and score a basket. At the World Games, he’s striving to sink an important putt.
At 26, U.S.A. Golfer D.J. La Marr has quite an impressive highlight reel.
In 2007, La Marr competed in the World Games in Shanghai as a bowler with Special Olympics Japan, taking home a silver medal in the doubles competition.
After he and his family moved to Virginia, La Marr joined the Special Olympics Virginia delegation to play softball. In spring 2014, La Marr’s team trailed by two runs late in the game. As the last player up at bat, La Marr hit a walk-off grand slam, clinching the victory for his team.
At the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles, La Marr is competing in golf, a sport that he picked up only four years ago. But according to his playing partner and coach, Mike Casstevens, La Marr has picked up the sport in a short amount of time.
It’s rare to find athletes who excel in multiple sports. Mastering the skills in one sport can take athletes years to accomplish after thousands of hours of fine-tuning necessary techniques. But managing and mastering multiple sports requires a heightened sense of discipline and determination. Aside from bowling and softball, La Marr is also a great basketball player.
La Marr has never succumbed to the obstacles he may face. In fact, he thrives on seeking ways to overcome them. When asked what his favorite part of his game is, La Marr smiled and said he was most excited about his short game, particularly chipping, after he got a new chipping wedge. Casstevens mentioned that this area of La Marr’s skill has the most room for growth, but La Marr is up for it.
With a positive attitude and the desire to excel, La Marr embraces his latest challenge and says he looks forward to the competition.
