A lot of bad jokes and even more good golf shots: that's what attendees got to see Saturday during the Dennis Walters Golf Show at The Commons at Fort McPherson.
While golf was the drawing point of the show, the goal was to leave viewers with the desire to never stop chasing and believing in dreams, said Walters.
"I'm not talking about a dream you have at night.
To me, a real dream is having a positive thought in your head and in your heart, and doing whatever it takes to make that come true," said Walters.
Walters' dream was to play in the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) tour.
However, in 1974 he was in an auto accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Although the accident ended his dream of being part of the tour, Walters was determined to continue playing golf.
Eventually, despite facing many obstacles, he made that goal a reality.
"If you have a dream and it doesn't work out, never stop dreaming," he said. "Get a new dream."
For Walters, that new dream became spreading his story and message across the country, all while performing and being an ambassador to the sport he loves.
Today, Walters, his assistant Tom Kolenda, and his service dog, Bucky, perform nearly 100 shows annually nationwide, using a unique blend of humor, trick shots, story telling and even a few tricks from Bucky.
A supporter of the military, Walters has taken his message to wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and Veteran Affairs hospitals nationwide.
"It's my way to thank military folks past and present," he said. "I do it for Families and Soldiers." What he does is perform, in Walters' words, "a very exciting show that shows anything is possible."
"It leaves you smiling and thinking," said Walters, adding he wants audiences to know no matter how impossible something might seem, it can be accomplished.
While some in Saturday's audience left thinking of new dreams to accomplish, others merely left with inspiration.
Maj. Jeremy Abrams, deputy secretary, general staff command group, U.S. Army Reserve Command, who attended the event with wife, Helen, and 5-month-old daughter, Sky, said he was inspired by Walters' story and his ability.
"He hit the ball straight every time," said Abrams, a golfer himself. "It was good inspiration to see how he overcame challenges and his disability to play golf."
Walters manages to golf using a swivel seat that is mounted on his golf cart and keeps him upright.
The rig, along with a harness, allows him to stand to hit any balls Kolenda sets up for him.
Walters overcomes other self-impossed disabilities, such as trying to hit a ball with a golf club made out of a radiator hose or with clubs sporting heads shaped like a cell phone, judge's gavel or bone-shaped dog toy, through pure skill.
Nicholas Sloan, 9, son of Kristel and Maj. Jeff Sloan, medical planner, Third Army/U.S. Army Central surgeon's office, said he enjoyed the show.
Sloan said he thought it would be fun to see a pro golfer and he wasn't disappointed, listing his favorite trick as the rapid-fire, three-shot finale that ended with a smoking golf ball flying through the air. Sloan, who managed to retreive that ball after the show, said he also left with a desire to go out and be a better golfer.
As for everyone else, Walters left them with a challenge.
"Think of one thing you want to do but didn't think you could," he said. "If you're willing to pay the price, you can accomplish anything."
Social Sharing