Jack Marshall

When  junior Jack Marshall was 5 years old, he was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis and told by a doctor that his legs might not ever work again.  Now, he’s lighting up golf courses all over Illinois.

After spending weeks in the hospital, Jack pushed through and eventually gained his ability to walk again. Since then, he has been outworking the competition in the classroom and on the golf course.

“Whenever I see Jack, he always has a smile on his face. He’s never in a bad mood,” says close friend and teammate Kaden Wilhelm.

Jack spends much of his time at Deerpath Golf Course, where he stays focused on improving his game for hours on end, and often helping teach little kids the ins and outs of the game.

“Of the around 3,000 kids I’ve coached in my career of golf coaching, Jack is far and away the hardest working, most focused individual I’ve coached,” Deerpath Golf Course golf coach Richard Franklin said.

Even as a freshman, he excelled on the Varsity golf team, posting the third best score on the team at Sectionals and securing his spot as one of the top players in the state in his class.

On top of his exceptional golf skills, Jack also shines in the classroom as he exceeds expectations in multiple AP classes at the high school. Junior Will Rolander, who shared a memorable English class with him freshman year, says, “Aside from cracking jokes that can make the whole class laugh, Jack is also a phenomenal student, who puts forth A+ work day in and day out.”