The Legendary Lives of Athletes John and Sammy at 90+

By C. MacDonald

John and Sammy--187 years of incredible life between them--one, Tiger Woods' first golf pro, who helped him develop skills over 8 years of instruction; the other, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in platform diving and member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. John Anselmo, 93, and Dr. Sammy Lee, M.D., 94, recently got together at one of their favorite golf courses, Meadowlark in Huntington Beach, CA. Mutual friend, Debby McCormick, a former national diving and tennis champion, who owns and coaches McCormick's Divers, set up the fun chat between the two international sports icons.

Twenty years ago, John taught Sammy how to play golf. "I was one of his failing students," joked the Fresno native and longtime Huntington Beach resident. "The best part of golf is it helps my profanity," said the graduate of USC Medical School, who once scored a hole-in-one on Meadowlark's second hole.

Lee, a Korean-American who got turned on to diving at the 1932 LA Olympics, would win gold off the 10-meter platform in both the 1948 (London) and 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games. He became the first Asian-American to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic platform diving. A year later, in 1953, Sammy further served his country in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Korea.

John also attended the 1932 LA Olympics and later joined the service. "I earned a golf scholarship to Stanford University but World War II erupted and I joined the U.S. Marines," said the great golfer, who has played with many top pros, like Sam Snead. "The only time I was on a diving board was during military training when I had to walk off the board wearing a 60-pound backpack and keep from drowning."

Speaking of getting wet, Sammy and Roz, his wife of 64 years, created "The Sammy Sport Towel," which is used to help dry off many swimmers and divers today. Like John, the ear, nose and throat doctor has trained famous athletes, including diver Greg Louganis. Asked if he still dives, Sammy said, "I now tread water in a Jacuzzi."

John plays golf three times a week and gives lessons at Meadowlark, the course where the humble fellow once helped develop young Tiger's skills for eight years. "I remember seeing him on the driving range and there was just something special about his swing," the current Fountain Valley resident said. "He took instruction well." Tiger once told The Golf Channel: "It's unbelievable how John kept things fun and interesting while changing my swing plane from flat to upright." The coach and one-time pupil met two years ago in Beijing, China, where John and his son put on a golf clinic. Another of his students, Roger Cleveland, ended up creating what became the legendary Cleveland Golf. John also authored a popular book, "A-Game of Golf."

Both John and Sammy's favorite sports require focus, flexibility, determination, resiliency, consistency, balance "and a lot of luck," they chimed in. The two ageless characters, who still live life to the fullest, shared their secrets of longevity: "Family, helping others, keep moving and have a sense of humor. Don't take life so seriously!" They're still having a ball and were talking about the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which will feature two of their favorite sports: platform diving and, for the first time in 112 years, golf!

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