Meet Adaptive Athlete: Lee Sage

Lee Sage was born and raised in Duncanville, Texas. Growing up, baseball was his passion - he loved the grind of practice, the steady improvement, and the unbreakable team bond where you always had someone by your side through the highs and lows. Later in life, golf took over as his true love, offering a different kind of challenge: entirely self-reliant, where every shot depends on you alone.

 

After graduating high school in 2002, Lee enlisted in the Navy serving as an Aviation Ordnanceman with deployments from August 2003 - March 2004 and January - July 2006. He then enlisted in the Army as an Infantryman serving as a 240 gunner in the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds”. He deployed with 2 - 27 to Afghanistan in March 2011 until he was wounded in May 2011.

On May 8, 2011, Lee was shot by a sniper in Afghanistan, resulting in temporary paralysis. His family support was absolutely crucial in the days, weeks, and months post-injury. Today, Lee still deals with balance issues, reduced blood flow, and weakness in his right leg. Physical therapy initially helped him regain enough function to return to some sports, including golf and softball, but progress stalled afterward. Since his injury, he has dealt with ups and downs of the mental journey, however he has come a long way since those darker days and continues to work toward full recovery and renewed confidence.

 

Today, Lee is committed to becoming a better version of himself across every dimension. Physically, he is focused on gaining strength, improving flexibility, increasing swing speed for longer golf drives, and building overall stamina for any activity. Mentally, he is determined to rebuild self-confidence, quiet the internal demons through breathing techniques and exercise, and break free from the stagnation he’s felt for too long - pushing toward consistent growth, both in body and mind, with a clear drive to move forward.