Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020 - 24

Local Youth on Course
JOHN TRAXLER
A
t the age of 18, CretinDerham
Hall High
School senior John Traxler has
already dealt with more adversity
than the majority of his classmates. Despite several
health issues and now a pandemic, Traxler says he's
managed to emerge with an optimistic outlook and
remains eager to discover what lies ahead.
" I've come away very positive and I have a good
mindset, " says Traxler. " It's taught me a lot. I think
it's made me braver and stronger, so I feel I can
overcome whatever diffi cult obstacles come at me. "
Those obstacles included cancelling the remainder
of the 2019-20 school year and activities this
past spring due to the pandemic.
" I was really looking forward to playing golf this
spring-that's the only thing I can do, " Traxler says.
Traxler, who goes by Jack, grew up playing golf,
hockey and baseball with his dad and two older
brothers. Diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade,
Traxler faced his next big challenge as a sixth-grader
in 2014, when he learned he had type 1 diabetes.
While adjusting to a new normal, Traxler's young
life would change drastically yet again. Six months
later, he started experiencing a series of headaches.
When the headaches became unbearable, Traxler
was referred to a neurologist.
" I went in, had an MRI and they told me that I
had a brain tumor in the back of my head, " he says.
" It's kind of ironic, because the brain tumor was
about the size of a golf ball. "
Traxler was admitted at Children's Hospital
JOHN TRAXLER
" Everyone
needs to have
a positive
mindset and
know that
things will get
better-that's
the most
important
thing. "
- John Traxler
in Minneapolis and immediately placed in the care of Dr.
Mahmoud Nagib, a well-known presence in the medical community
both locally and nationally. Nagib successfully removed
the tumor connected to Traxler's cerebellum.
Undergoing extensive rehabilitation and therapy that lasted
into his freshman year of high school, Traxler was ready to feel
like a regular teenager again, playing the sports he was so accustomed
to before his health issues began.
" I wanted to be an athlete because my two brothers played
sports, and I wanted to fi nd something that felt like I was still
playing and being competitive, " he says. " I turned to golf and it
to the
Next
Tee
Scholarship winners meet
today's challenges head
on while preparing for
what's yet to come.
* BY NICK HUNTER *
really helped me overcome these obstacles. "
Traxler
says golf has taught him patience
and perseverance in dealing with some residual
facial paralysis and balance issues. Traxler was a
member of the junior varsity golf team when the
boys golf coach, Charlie Lallas, suggested Traxler
and other members of the golf team join the Youth
on Course program.
Youth on Course evolved from the Northern
California Golf Association in 2006 and now
stretches across 38 regions of the U.S. By its fourth
local season, the program attracted 4,700 junior
golfers to more than 80 participating courses in
Minnesota at the close of the 2019 season.
Thanks in large part to his work within the community,
Traxler was named one of 19 Youth on
Course Scholarship winners for 2020. He was a
member of the Link Crew (a group of junior and
seniors who lend their assistance to incoming freshman)
and manager for the boys varsity hockey team
during his sophomore and junior year, all while
demonstrating successful work in the classroom.
" I'm grateful for Youth on Course because it's
given me a lot of opportunities and allowed me to
experience new golf courses, " says Traxler.
Traxler was also recognized by Cretin-Derham
Hall during his junior year, winning the Greg
Marzolf Junior Scholarship Award for his senior
year.
" I have a slower processing speed, but I work hard
and I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish, "
he says.
Gaining acceptance to Iowa State University last fall, Traxler
intends to focus on engineering and science while there. His
aspiration now is to fi nd a way to help people adapt after traumatic
and signifi cant health issues.
" My goal is to make life better for kids who go through similar
things like me, " Traxler says. " I feel like a lot needs to be done to
help kids have a better life and experience after [health issues].
Everyone needs to have a positive mindset and know that things
will get better. It's not going to be bad every day-you need to
have that attitude-that's the most important thing. "
24
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2020
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Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020

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