Alberta Golf (Calgary) – Over the winter we will be doing player profiles on our high performance athletes. This week’s profile is on Stephanie Chelack of Calgary.

Stephanie Chelack grew up in Calgary watching her older brother Andrew compete at a high level and from a young age was around the sport of golf.

“My brother started playing competitively when I was 5 or 6,” Chelack said. “I would follow him around to practice and drag my little plastic clubs, hang around the golf course with him and my dad so I grew up playing it with my family.”

At the age of 10 Stephanie starting taking the game more seriously at the Inglewood Golf & Curling Club and took an interest in competitive golf. To this day she still loves how unique the sport is.

“You’re playing the golf course you’re not really playing the field, it’s you playing you,” Chelack admitted. “You’re trying to improve against yourself all the time which I think is really cool. And not something you can get with any other sport.”

VIDEO: Stephanie Chelack in her own words:

Growing up the sport has taken her across the U.S. and around the world as far away as Australia. The grade-12 student at Central Memorial High School says she’s always wanted to play college golf.

“You see everyone competing older than you going away to college,” Chelack said. “You’re like wow that seems kind of cool”

And that dream will become reality in the fall of 2020 when she starts as a freshman on the golf team at Eastern Washington University, where Calgary Stampeder Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell excelled at college football.

“It’s really exciting to be able to achieve that dream,” Chelack beamed. “Going to Eastern Washington, I’m super excitied.”

It’s also something her coach Jeff MacGregor and all the staff at the Inglewood Golf and Curling Club are very proud of.

It’s a very special day for Inglewood’s Stephanie Chelack. Congrats on signing with Eastern Washington! I’ve watched you put in the work and it’s only the start of big things! The grades are there and so is the game! 🙂 #happycoach #div1golf #Ladiesgolf #yycgolf pic.twitter.com/OMo2gcNR3c

— Jeff MacGregor (@clubpropress) November 20, 2019

Chelack says playing in Alberta Golf events growing up and receiving high performance funding has been very valuable.

“I’ve been on the Ryder Cup team against Montana, that was super fun,” Chelack said. “Driving down with the team on the bus to Montana and playing a different style of golf was really cool and Alberta Golf has always run fantastic tournaments.”

The 17-year-old is working hard on the simulator at Inglewood and is excited for the new adventures 2020 are sure to bring.