Thomas McAuliffe lost both his arms in a horrible accident when he was nine years old, but he learned to play golf. In 1915, the 22-year-old told his story to Golf Monthly. By gripping the club between his cheek and shoulder, and with a “combined swing and jerk of the body and shoulder,” he was able to hit the ball 100 to 120 yards with a driver. McAuliffe was certainly a positive thinker. “I never permit the thought of my accident to take possession of my mind,” he declared, “nor do I think of anything being impossible for me to overcome. When the time comes, I just go ahead as best I may, and somehow, someway, I generally get there without any great difficulties.” Somehow, someway, I generally get there without any great difficulties—this understatement of courageous determination and resolve demonstrates the power of the human spirit in overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
