A Pro Golfer Was Asked About Cyberbullying And Responded With Eye-Opening Insight
"I can share my story. And I’m okay being emotional about it.”
It would be easy to look at the life of LPGA golfer Paige Spirinac and think things are pretty close to perfect for the young star. She’s pursuing her passion of golf as a career and has fans the world over, including 800,000 Instagram followers. Her profession and notoriety have landed her countless endorsements and career opportunities that take her all over the globe.
But, as is so often the case, success has brought new struggles to Paige’s doorstep. Speaking to media prior to this week’s Omega Dubai Ladies Classic, Spirinac gave an honest and emotional account of a struggle that many, including her own fans, may be blind to.
Cyberbullying.
Her high profile on social media has made her susceptible to threats, bullying, shaming, and myriad other disturbing comments. Similar comments have been directed to her family online as well. She was asked about her struggle behind the scenes of what appears to be a picturesque personal and professional life in a video by Golf Digest. She didn’t pull any punches when answering:
It doesn’t take long for her to break down into tears about the reality of her struggle, yet she continues to speak even as she’s offered the opportunity by several to move on to a new line of questioning.
Her advice to anyone suffering: Find someone to talk to. People want to listen, but they often just don’t know that they need to. Let them know.
It’s difficult for the most notable, prominent people to speak honestly about the damage cyberbullying causes them because they fear looking ungrateful, thin-skinned, or petty. Fortunately, that didn’t keep Paige from speaking honestly and emotionally about her experiences, which clearly cause her great duress. Let’s hope that her honesty and bravery in speaking up about her continuing struggle help us recognize that this is an issue doesn’t discriminate among people, regardless of their station.
And if someone who has such a “perfect” life can suffer as a result, it’s time to realize that anyone can.