Downers Grove man looks to break record in fundraiser for school shooting victims

DOWNERS GROVE – When Downers Grove native Mike Sale tees off Friday for more than 2,500 holes of Frisbee golf he plans to play in 24 hours, it will be for more than just reclaiming his world record.

The University of California, Santa Barbara junior is trying raise money and awareness for the victims of the school shooting that killed six people and injured 13 others near the campus last spring.

“It flipped everyone around, it was no longer a happy place to be,” he said. “Everybody was depressed and sad. It felt like (everyone) was scared to leave the house. And if this could happen here, could this happen again? Could someone else snap?”

The incident had a profound impact on Sale and his classmates, he said, inspiring him to do something for the victims, so what better than what he does best – disc golf.

The 20-year-old finished second in the 2013 Individual National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship, founded his college disc golf club and previously held the Guinness Book of World Records title for most holes played in 24 hours – 1,310.

The feat involved walking about 78 miles over the course of the 24 hours, Sale said, in addition to about 7 cumulative miles on a bike that he’d ride the 400 feet between the ninth and first holes each time he completed the course.

“It’s pretty ridiculous,” he said. “I couldn’t walk for two days after that last attempt.”

The record was ultimately bested three times, with the current record standing at 1,929 holes.

“I had it in my head that I wanted to break the record again,” he said. “But it wasn’t until the week after (the shooting) that it was going to be my focus to try and raise money.”

Sale has dedicated his summer to the task – his college classes don't start until October – lining up several disc golf sponsors for the event, organizing a doubles tournament to take place the same day and launching a fundraiser page at www.gofundme.com/d99y6o.

Between the Go Fund Me site, private donations and the sponsorships, he’s reached about $2,000 of his $2,500 fundraising goal, he said.

For the event, Sale will travel with friends to the Blockhouse Disc Golf and Country Club in Spotsylvania, Virginia. It’s the shortest course he could find that qualifies for the record, and Sale thinks he should be able to get to at least 2,500 holes with the reduced walking time.

The course also has the added benefit of being designed for play at night with lighted holes.

Still, it will be an endurance test, and he plans to bring multiple pairs of shoes to ward off blisters.

Sale said he started playing the sport around the time he got his driver’s license, fortuitous timing that allowed him to drive and play as many courses as he could find.

He likes the pressure of individual sports, he said, the success or failure riding on his own shoulders. He also believes the wooded courses offer a meditative quality.

“When you’re playing a course and there’s no one else around, the rest of the world falls away and you don’t have to worry about anything but disc golf,” he said.

Like many niche sports, a community and subculture that has grown up around it as well.

“The people are great,” he said “I can’t get away from it.”