| David's blog: My friend Marc |
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| Sunday, 29 March 2009 15:33 |
 Dear FriendsAfter the training camp and tournaments in the USA I visited my friend of 35 years, Marc Samuels in Texas. Sadly last June tragedy struck in the form of a massive stroke which has left Marc partially paralysed and unable to speak. He understands everything and communicates with gestures, with laughter and oohs and aahs. His spirit is strong, his positive attitude and faith in recovering are remarkable. The doctors thought he would die, he lived. They said it was unlikely he would walk again and he is walking slowly and I believe he will get his speech back (Marc was an excellent conversationalist). With his determination and the support of his friends, his amazing wife Colleen, his children Ariel and Rory who cope fantastically well with the challenge there is real hope. Marc was a top junior tennis player before playing in college for 2 years. Marc and I originally met at an U12 tournament and practised together a lot from then on, becoming firm friends. He left South Africa to live at the original Hopman's camp in Clearwater, Florida at 15, a brave decision in 1976 for a South African to leave his family and follow his tennis dream. He shared apartments and trained with John Evert, John van Nostrand (unfortunately killed in a car accident travelling between tournaments in Mexico), Jimmy Guerfein and Nicky Getz, all good US juniors. He and fellow SA player Gary Coetzee persuaded me to leave the University of Texas and join them at North Texas under the guidance of AG Longoria who had gotten Pan American into the top 10 and was charged with the same job at NT. Unfortunately after two excellent seasons AG left when the Athletic Director Hayden Fry was sacked and the programme faltered. Marc quit tennis and college to focus on learning about diamonds. His family had immigrated to Texas and as a qualified master jeweller, he joined his father’s jewellery business in Dallas, eventually using this experience to start his own business in Frisco, Texas, www.MarcSamuelsjewelers.com His friends are saluting Marc’s spirit and our appreciation of a truly “great bloke” by organising golf benefit (his sport after tennis) to support Marc and help fund the Texas Women’s’ University research centre into strokes. Anyone can help and Marc is an example of a champion in attitude and how quickly a normal life can change in an instant. For more information please visit www.diamondsintheroughgolfclassic.blogspot.com |
