Lest we smugly think we have cornered the market on true grit in pursuit of our athletic goals, check this out. Via the Bleacher Report this week:Daniela Holmqvist is a rookie golfer on the Ladies European Tour, and also happens to be a cross between Chuck Norris and Bear Grylls.
Holmqvist was on the fourth hole at the Royal Canberra Golf Club on Tuesday during a pre-qualifier for the LPGA Tour's ISPS Handa Australian Open in Yarralumla, Australia.
She felt a sharp pain in her ankle. She looked down and noticed a spider with the markings of a Black Widow.
As Holmqvist's leg started to swell and the pain became intense, she made the quick decision to take matters into her own hands (she'd just been informed that a Black Widow bite can kill a child in as little as 30 minutes). She pulled a tee out of her pocket ("it was the only thing I had handy," she told Svensk Golf) and used it to cut open the wound so she could squeeze out the venom and keep it from spreading inside her body.
"A clear fluid came out," she said. "It wasn't the prettiest thing I've ever done, but I had to get as much of it out of me as possible."
Without skipping a beat, she then proceeded to finish her round, shooting a 74.
Our running group has an ongoing debate about whether golf and NASCAR are real sports. Maybe they are and maybe they aren't, but what isn't debatable is Ms. Holmqvist's commitment to her sport (or "sport, if you will) and toughness in the face of adversity.
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