SPORTSKID of the YEAR - HOLE NEW WORLD

Carter Bonas calls his autism his superpower, and he's leaned into it as he's become a competitive golfer, a businessman-and the 2022 SportsKid of the Year

-  MARK BECHTEL

THREE YEARS AGO, Carter Bonas was being bullied so badly at school he told his principal he didn't want to go on living. Carter, who was then 8, has autism and was struggling to fit in. He didn't speak until he was 4, and as he got older he often coped with uncomfortable situations by giving hugs, which opened him up to teasing from his classmates and confused some of his teachers. Tantrums were frequent, and he had a hard time finding a school where he could learn.

Fast forward to today. Carter is a competitive golfer who is pals with Ernie Els. He's a motivational speaker, delivering talks to students and grown-ups alike. He's a business owner, selling his own line of golf apparel. And he's done it all by leaning into the condition that seemed to make life so challenging in the first place. As his Instagram bio declares, Autism is my superpower.

"He's learning to channel those obsessions into his business, into his golf, where it's becoming a positive thing," says Carter's mom, Thelma Tennie. "Most kids might give up, but he does not have that ability to give up on something. He has to get it done, or he's not gonna be O.K."

As Carter grew up, Thelma and her husband, Eddie Tennie, tried to find an activity that would allow him to meet other kids. "I tried most sports, but I didn't really like them," he says. "Some of them there was running around, people pushing you, coaches yelling at you." Eventually a friend of his mom's suggested golf. "I like golf because I don't like being touched," Carter says. "It's relaxing. And I love nature, too."