Meant For More Charlie Walker grew up playing polo in Santa Barbara surrounded by friends and family. A talented athlete and a beloved team player, Charlie graduated from Interscholastic polo to become captain of his Intercollegiate team at Colorado State University. But in June of 2020, at the age of 21, Charlie was diagnosed with a very serious stage of Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s. With the unwavering support of his parents, extended family, and the tight-knit polo community, Charlie prevailed. “Through the struggles, I kept a positive outlook knowing that I was meant for more.” Charlie stayed connected to polo throughout his cancer journey, helping to manage operations of his CSU team. His leadership and commitment to the team earned him the Polo Training Foundation Intercollegiate Player of the Year Award in 2021, an honor that inspired his determination to get back in the saddle.
Q: Who has had the most impact on your game and involvement in polo?
Charlie: I am lucky that my dad Henry got me started when I was very young, about 5 years old. As I grew up, lots of people helped me improve – like Megan Judge, Jason Crowder, and Santi Wulff to name a few. Patrick Uretz helped me with my defensive skills, I learned to stare down and really impact my opponents thanks to him. It takes a village to become a good player, I think I have learned a little bit from everyone in polo. Q: What is your fondest polo memory? Charlie: I went to the Interscholastic regionals with the Central Coast / Santa Barbara team of myself, Cory Williams, and Jake and Luke Klentner. We spent a lot of time as a team – traveling, living, and training – and we got to know each other very well. We had a wonderful time playing together and made lots of memories.
Charlie started riding again this past January with a new outlook on life, unwavering faith, and enduring family support. He shared a few thoughts with Santa Barbara Polo Magazine, as did some of his closest friends and family.
“When a member of the family gets cancer, the whole family has cancer, and we all go on the journey together. The support of friends and family during this journey was enormous to our stamina and faith.” —Henry Walker
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