Charlie Dell was born with one arm, but the senior hasn’t let that stop him from excelling in two sports for Oak Lawn.
Dell has been a star bowler since he was a freshman, helping the Spartans win three straight South Suburban Red titles. On the golf course, with the help of a prosthetic arm, he’s made dramatic improvements this fall to become a fixture in the varsity lineup for the first time.
“I’ve learned that you can’t let a disability stop you,” Dell said. “If anything, it motivates me. As a golfer, I’ve been motivated to keep going through this process.
“It’s a really good feeling that I’m able to golf with my disability.”
Dell started golfing in sixth grade, getting his start through a clinic put on by the United States Adapted Golf Alliance.
“They really show you what you can do,” Dell said. “You can watch a lot of golf videos on YouTube but you can’t find one-handed golf videos. I was able to get trained by a coach just like me who has one arm and get information from him.”
Dell learned to swing golf clubs with one hand and played that way through his freshman season before incorporating the prosthetic.
“It definitely was a big change for me,” Dell said. “I felt like I needed to learn a whole new swing. But I felt like I might as well do that at a younger age. So now, as I keep using this prosthetic, it will help me in the long term.”
It’s already making a big difference. Dell just missed out on the varsity roster for conference play last season, when he was averaging a score of 48 per nine holes. This year, he’s averaging 42 in the varsity lineup for coach Shawn Neubauer.
“He’s worked on his game,” Neubauer said of Dell. “He’s improved. He’s gotten stronger and better and now he’s one of our top varsity players.”
Oak Lawn boys bowling coach Kevin Walery is also an assistant for the boys golf team, so he sees Dell in action in both sports.
Walery said Dell has learned not to worry as much about being different and has improved athletically as he’s come out of his shell.
“His confidence has risen,” Walery said. “He wears a smaller prosthetic for bowling, and when he was a freshman, he hid it and wore a long sleeve over it. Now, he’ll even give a high five or a fist bump with it. He’s really found his spot.”
Dell was the South Suburban Red individual bowling champion as a sophomore and went to state with the team. He averaged 208 as a sophomore and 199 as a junior and is expecting big things for his senior season this winter.
Bowling came a bit more naturally for Dell, who started that sport when he was 5 years old. Golf has presented a new set of challenges, but Dell said he never considered giving up.
“I never wanted to quit,” Dell said. “I never thought about it. I knew I could be good at the sport one day, so I always wanted to keep going and keep getting better.”
Fellow senior Jack Dempsey, who is one of Oak Lawn’s top golfers in addition to being a standout basketball player, appreciates Dell’s persistence.
“If he’s able to do it with one arm, why can’t everyone else do it?” Dempsey said. “It’s definitely a motivation for me and I think it’s definitely a motivation for anyone who is out on the course playing with him and seeing him do so well.
“It’s inspiring. I’m super proud of the kid.”
Dell hopes younger kids with disabilities will also give sports a shot.
“Anything that is challenging, you can overcome it,” Dell said. “You can do it. No matter what your disability is, no matter what your limits or setbacks you have, you can always keep going and keep thriving. Stay grateful and your time will come.
“It’s only a matter of time until you’re good at something and it’s your time to shine.”