By Kimberly Villa
Matt Glumac has been playing golf for almost his entire life. He first picked up a club at five years old and played his first full 18-hole game 10 years later. Matt loves the game and is a natural. Special Olympics has given him a place to compete and hone his skills. In June, Matt will represent Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) on the golf course at Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida.
Matt’s Special Olympics journey began in Stevensville, Montana where he was able to participate in bowling, athletics, snowshoeing, and golf. Before ever joining Special Olympics, he found his love for golf as a five-year-old, when he began hitting the ball. It is while he was in Montana, in 2013, that he won his first Special Olympics golf competition. Golf has always been his favorite sport and is currently the only sport he participates in. “Golf takes dedication and practice. It is the hardest game ever,” said Matt. He continued golfing during the pandemic, which has helped to prepare him for the USA Games.
Winning his match at the SOSC Fall Games in 2019 was his favorite Special Olympics memory. He “sunk a 5-foot putt for birdie” on the last hold of that competition. He said that it was a hole “like you see professionals” play!
Matt loves Special Olympics because it “allows people with disabilities to prove they can do much more than what some people think.” Special Olympics has made it easier for Matt to make friends, and to be able to tell people about Special Olympics and what it has done for him and for others. Matt wants others to know that what is most important is to “never give up or quit.”
Matt will continue to practice and to fine tune his game before the USA Games. His mother and father will be there to cheer him on and his faithful caddy, Craig, will be with him on the course!