After ski accident, Weber State student becomes two-time USGA adaptive golf champ
OGDEN, Utah — Max Togisala has long dominated on the golf course, both before and after a ski accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
The youngest of four siblings, the Ogden native learned to golf at age 3. In junior high, he became obsessed with playing college golf, and a few years later earned a full-ride scholarship to play golf at Central Wyoming College.
But plans changed in February 2022 when Togisala tumbled 100 yards down a ski slope at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho, breaking his spine and losing feeling in his legs. He was 18 years old.
“That put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” Togisala said. “My life flipped upside down, and I felt like I had no clue what I was doing anymore.”
He spent three months in the hospital, where he relearned basic tasks like brushing his teeth and putting on shoes. Although happy by nature, he struggled with depression during that time — especially the thought of never golfing or skiing again.
One day in the hospital, Togisala’s brother, Malosi, brought him golf clubs. “I was like, why are you bringing me these clubs, I’m not gonna use them again,” Togisala said. In 30-degree weather, Malosi wheeled Togisala to a patch of grass outside the hospital and showed him how to swing the club while seated.
“I was like, ‘I can do this. I think I could figure a way to play golf again,’” Togisala said.
On his first day out of the hospital, his dad took him to the green: “It felt amazing to be out on the golf course again,” Togisala said. “It gave me motivation to do more.”
In the midst of outpatient rehab in the summer of 2022, Togisala learned about the USGA’s first-ever U.S. Adaptive Open. He set a goal to compete the following year.
At the second annual event in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 2023, Togisala was part of a 96-player field made up of competitors from across the globe in eight categories, including seated players. He was victorious in that category, earning his first national title — and he did it again in 2024 at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas.
“It’s pretty cool to have two national titles as a wheelchair user,” he said.
Togisala didn’t just set out to become a golf champ after his accident; he also wanted to continue his college dream: “I didn’t want anything to slow me down after my accident.”
In August 2022, while still rehabilitating, he started at Weber State University. He said it was during his first semester when he finally felt happy again.
“I didn’t think I’d ever be going to college without playing college golf,” he said. “At Weber, I felt like I had a new opportunity to grow and to shine.”
Togisala is studying professional sales, which he said is a great fit for his personality, helping develop skills he believes are adaptable to almost every job. Career-wise, Togisala is interested in social media.
He has already built a following of over 15,000 people on Instagram, where he shares adaptive golf content. But Togisala said it’s not just golf lovers who are finding his page; it’s also people looking for hope and connection following their own injuries.
On social media, Togisala shares videos of his life in a wheelchair — from descending staircases backward to navigating Weber State’s mountainous terrain.
“I’ve had a lot of opportunities since the accident, not just to compete in adaptive tournaments, but also sharing my story with other people,” he said.
He’s also sharing his talents. Since learning to golf and ski again, Togisala teaches adaptive golf clinics during the summer and adaptive skiing courses in the winter.
With his busy life — which includes working as a student advocate at a nearby junior high school and preparing to get married — Togisala said he’s focused on being grateful.
“My dad taught me you’re gonna have bad holes and you’re gonna have good holes, it’s just how you react to those bad holes,” he said.
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu