My Story

“Fore left!” was the shout as my son, Jared and I were walking down the 15th hole, left rough at Pebble Beach, during Saturday’s round, site of the 2010 US Open.

 

It was a beautiful, cloudless sky and as the shouts rang out, I immediately looked up and spotted the ball flying directly overhead. Following the flight path, it created disorientation, and I lost my balance tumbling down!

 

Jared laughing, was already running to where the ball came to rest in the rough about 40 yards away. Quickly getting up, I ran to meet him…we were the first to surround it and with arms outstretched, he was already forming a circle around the ball.

 

Unsure whose shot as they approached, it was Graeme McDowell’s. He was at the top of the leaderboard. We were only a few feet away from him and his caddy listening to their interaction…a very cool moment.

 

We followed them for the rest of the round, then drove from the heavenly Monterey Peninsula to San Francisco to catch a flight back home, to Mason City, IA, where we watched Graeme, from Northern Ireland win the US Open on Sunday.

 

Fast forward to 2022…

 

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012, most of the lesions were on my spine which meant the legs could be compromised, not ideal for an active life of golf, running, cycling, skiing. By 2022 with water and snow skiing, cycling, and running in the rearview mirror, I could still play a few holes of golf and on a good day, even play 9 holes.

 

Jared was in Florida visiting where my wife, Laura and I were spending more time in the winter, and as we were playing golf, he videoed me hitting a drive.

 

Subsequently, he posted the video on Twitter, with a special message about how thankful he was to play golf with me. With his massive following it went viral…over 4 million views, even including Phil Mickelson. How awesome!

 

The PGA noticed and wanted to do a story, and by the fall of 2022 it evolved into meeting a PGA golfer at the Grant Thornton team event, in early December, who had a family member with MS. This was the story.

 

Who was it? Unbelievably it was Graeme McDowell! I still get shivers down my spine thinking about how we were a few feet away from him 12 years prior, and now we were going to meet him and learn his connection with MS. No question, this was the Holy Spirit speaking…it had to be.

 

Meeting Graeme was terrific, a great guy, and he spent over an hour with us and even provided a lesson on the range.

 

This was the impetus for creating Persevering One Step at a Time. God was speaking to me through the Holy Spirit.

 

But initially I ran not wanting to do it, making excuses, so it took two more interventions before I committed to forming the foundation in 2025.

 

I have no idea where the Holy Spirit and the Lord will lead me, but I am trusting and surrendering, committed to changing lives! Please join and support our movement to improve lives and give hope to those fighting and struggling with this chronic, debilitating disease. The physical therapy resources will provide greater mobility and a fighting chance to cope with an awful disease.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve Doerfler

President

Persevering One Step at a Time​