Photo Credit: ESPN.com
0
0
The word cancer is a bad word for most of us. In my case, it has taken three relatives from me. I have lost two uncles and a grandmother. One of my uncles taught me how to play the game of golf at the tender age of five. No matter what age cancer hits it is very sad when we lose a loved one. Let me first say this, anyone that comes to be a victim of this terrible disease should never be forgotten. But when the disease hits a young child we are all very sad. There are bright spots that happen with young survivors. In this case, it was a survivor in the state of New Jersey. Her name is Ally and she was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 11. Ally went through radiation and seven months of chemotherapy.
Before, all of this occurred she was given a Rubik’s cube. She never really showed any interest in it. When she returned home from the hospital she picked it up and solved it for the first time after going through all she did with her brain cancer. At the Fed Ex St Jude Invitational, she was approached by Abraham Ancer. I wrote about Ancer before on how he is changing the world as far as golf shoes. He approached Ally and wanted her to draw a design for a shoe. She accepted it and what did she draw? A Rubik’s cube, of course. The St. Jude Classic works with young cancer patients to draw pictures for pro golfer’s shoes. Ally’s drawing has been picked and will be featured and she was ecstatic. In 2019, Justin Thomas received a custom pair of shoes from a young child named Bailey.
Thomas surprised Bailey with a signed pair of golf shoes in his size. This year, along with Ancer, we will also see Cameron Smith and Webb Simpson wear the design that four patients have designed. The other 30 players will wear a collage print of all the custom designs. I think this is awesome that the tournament and players are helping young cancer patients. This helps them with treatment and recovery. The disease is terrible and when a patient is given a chance to be an inspiration it is a good thing. It is cool that the game of golf is helping with cancer. I miss my uncle every day and when I go to practice I can still hear him telling me what I am doing wrong. We all need to do little things like this to help fight this terrible disease.
This brings awareness to young cancer patients. All of the designs come from patients that have either recovered or are currently still in treatment. This is going on all over the world not just in the United States. Being that Fed Ex is a worldwide shipping company. I will be honest, I have seen some of the designs and I would love to have a pair of them for myself. The PGA pros will look stylish with these shoes. I am looking forward to seeing this year’s designs and future ones as well. Maybe we will see one of these cancer patients become a golf pro one day and they can say I am wearing a pair of shoes that were designed by a patient just like me.
Author Profile
-
Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
Latest entries
SoftballFebruary 6, 2026Bulls Eye Oklahoma City: USF Softball Primed for a Historic 2026 Run
AAC FootballJanuary 31, 2026USF Football Adding New Players to Continue Success
BaseballJanuary 29, 2026University of Tampa Spartans look to Three Peat in 2026
MLBJanuary 23, 2026Rays Baseball: A Big Step Towards a New Stadium Deal
About the Author
