Freshman golfer Halli Tichenor was born with a condition called hip dysplasia, a condition where the hip naturally starts to come out of its socket over time, leading to dislocation.

“I have had four hip surgeries,” Tichenor said. “I tore my labrum when I was eleven and I had to get surgery to fix that on December 23, 2021. Four days later I had reconstructive hip surgery. I also had a femur surgery on October 16, 2023 and then a surgery where they took out all of my metal plates on May 28, 2024.”

Through all of this Tichenor has loved to play golf. She has been playing golf since she was five, all the way through middle school and now as a member of the golf team. Though she has had to re-do her swing many times to help her leg and hip to feel better, she says she still enjoys the sport.

“When I had the metal plate in my leg I had to relearn how to do a whole different swing and then when I got it out for this season I had to learn another new swing that felt good,” Tichenor said. “Walking a lot and putting a lot of movement on it has been hard to do too.”

Despite her challenges, Tichenor has been able to continue golfing.

“So far this year has been a wonderful experience for the many clubs and teams I’m a part of,” Tichenor says. “For golf, I am so happy to be around an amazing group of girls every day, and I love how they’re basically now my sisters. The golf part of the team has also been amazing too. I played in a lot of matches and have had such a fun freshman year experience.”

Tichenor’s last surgery was in May, and although her journey has come with obstacles, she has gained experiences that she says have taught her lessons.

“My favorite part of this journey has probably been how much work I have put into recovering because it builds a lot of self confidence that I don’t think I would have if I wouldn’t have gotten it,” Tichenor said. “I have been able to learn to look at the good parts of it and think about how much stronger I have been because of it.”