Madeleine Sachstrom (Sweden), who plays in the LPGA Tour, has been hiding the sexual harassment she had been in as a child for 16 years.
In a contribution posted on the LPGA Tour homepage on the 22nd (Korean time) on the 22nd (Korean time), Saxstrom revealed the painful past when he went to a neighbor’s house when he was seven years old and was molested by the landlord.
The perpetrator was not Saxstrom’s relative, but he was a very close adult.
Saxstrom buried in his heart the terrible things that had happened and did not speak to anyone.
Saxstrom was comforted by golf.
I was happy if I was good at golf.
I was able to forget the pain buried in my heart.
But the terrible memories haunted Saxstrom from within.
Saxstrom said, “I have come to think that I am useless.
I couldn’t even apply lotion to my legs.
He hated his body.
Because of what someone did to me…” he wrote.
Saxstrom, who joined the LPGA Symmetra Tour in 2016, was unable to control his emotions during the game.
His mentor Robert Karlsson, who played on the American Professional Golf (PGA) tour, asked why, and Saxstrom told Karlsson about a terrible incident that took place 16 years ago.
Saxstrom cried as he talked about what he hid from Karlsson in the hotel room at the time.
“I couldn’t believe I had been subjected to such a thing by someone I trusted.
For 16 years, I rebuked myself, hated myself, and despised my body.
That destroyed my mind.
He always suffered from nightmares and tried hard to get out of it.”
After revealing a 16-year-old secret, Saxstrom was able to escape from his inner pain.
My mind was relaxed and it was easier to touch my skin.
Even during the game, I became much less nervous, and I didn’t get nervous even when the game was terrible.
Brightened Saxstrom made his debut on the 2017 LPGA Tour, winning three wins on the Symmetra Tour that year.
He won his first LPGA Tour title at Gainbridge last year.
He recalled that the opening of a new life was the opening of the painful memories he had hidden.
“It took time to get my voice back and share my experiences,” Saxstrom said.
“If sharing what I’ve been through helps others, it’s worth it.”
/yunhap news