Paige Spiranac is many things at once. She’s a former professional golfer who went from being one of the world’s top recruits to a college golf star. She’s also a social media influencer with millions of Instagram followers and an equally sizable community on Youtube.

But what she is not is an ‘industry plant’ with little or no talent or a gimmick in the golf industry. Because one does not become the first woman in history to hold the mic at the Dubai Desert Classic by looks alone, these 40 pictures tell the story of a woman on a mission to bring inclusivity into the world of golf.

A Family of Overachievers

Looking at family, it’s hardly surprising that Spiranac ended up in sports. Her father played football with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team. At the same time, her mother was a professional ballet dancer.

Her parents had set quite a lofty standard, and things would have been fine if none of their children had chosen to follow similar paths. But fate had something funny in store for the Spiranacs. Paige’s sister, Lexie, developed an interest in running track. And she was so good that she received an athletic scholarship to attend Stanford. The die was cast. Paige couldn’t be the odd one out.

A Little Girl With Big Dreams

Growing up, Paige was reminded of all the ways her family was extraordinary. And like most little girls, she looked up to her parents and big sister as role models. If they could do it, so could she. Nothing could stand in her way of becoming a professional athlete as well.

So that little girl growing up in Monument, Colorado, decided one day that she would compete as a gymnast at the Olympics. Her parents were excited and only happy to support her in any way they could. Paige began practicing gymnastics. Everything was working out just as she had planned.

Change of Plans

Sadly, a disaster awaited Paige ahead of the road. She was only 12 years of age when she suffered a twice-broken kneecap. Gymnastics, like most sports, holds a risk of injury, and she had known this before starting.

But still, Paige had never imagined that she would ever suffer an injury that would derail her dreams. It was a terrible time for her. And even now that she’s achieved success in her professional career, she must look back on those days with some level of regret and sadness. After all, it’s perfectly normal for her to wonder what could have been.