Leon C. King High School senior golfer James Ro almost made history. Ro approached the seventh hole with a beautiful drive that put him in position for a rare double eagle. He was just a half-inch short but said he was proud because it's the work he put in during the summer that even made the shot possible.
“So far, it's been my servers and my irons that have been pretty accurate. So that's been really helping me improve my game. I think that carried over to this season, too. I'm just trying to work on my putting. So with that, I think I can play even better and maybe get that double eagle next time”.
Ro went on to shoot a 36 to help King beat Hillsborough High School. Head varsity golf coach Barrett Zebos says Ro is the glue that keeps the Lions together.
“James has helped the team become very cohesive. He’s helping to keep the team focused on our goal of winning a district championship and then going on to regionals. He's become a greatly leader for us.”
As passionate as Ro is about golf, he is also exceptional in the Japanese fencing sport of kendo. Ro is a seven-time Florida state youth champion, currently ranks no. 3 in the nation, and serves as an assistant coach for the USF Kendo Club. But, Ro says he is most inspired by the fight his father fought and won.
“In sixth grade, I found out my dad had liver cancer. So, that was a big turning point in my life. But, it didn't really hit me until ninth grade, when my dad actually received his liver transplant. Everything worked out fine from there. But, from sixth grade to now, I've been over to the hospital for over 50 nights staying with my dad and have stayed close to the fight against cancer by volunteering my time with pediatric cancer patients.”
Ro serves as president of King’s chapter of the National Honor Society, boasts a 4.0 GPA, spent last summer doing research with the University of South Florida’s mechanical engineering team, and has logged nearly 200 hours volunteering with Florida Hospital.
To see Ro in action, click on the link.