Back in the Game: Skylar Miller's VertaCat Story

Skylar Miller golfed his entire life. Then, a spinal cord tumor changed everything. 

Surgery left him paralyzed from the waist down, and suddenly the game that had defined so much of his identity felt distant.

During rehabilitation, Skylar found adaptive golf. He tried different equipment, but each round came with a catch: he could only play at courses with adaptive carts available. For two years, golf existed in the background of his life while he focused on returning to work and adjusting to his new reality.

Then his dad, Doug, surprised him with a VertaCat.

Doug had followed Max Togisala on Instagram and saw how fluidly he moved in the VertaCat. He reached out to Jeff Nicholson, the Chief Marketing Officer of VertaCat, who happened to be at the US Adaptive Open at the time. Jeff mentioned he was selling the unit Max had just used to win the tournament.

Doug bought it on the spot.

When Skylar pulled into his parents' backyard that weekend, he had no idea what waited for him.

The Surprise

Skylar's wife planned the reveal, convincing him they needed to visit his parents' house that weekend to relax by the pool. When Skylar arrived, Doug mentioned wanting to show him a new golf cart a friend had lent him for the weekend. 

Skylar thought it seemed odd because his dad already owned a golf cart. Then Doug pulled the VertaCat down into the backyard.

"My jaw just hit the floor. I couldn't believe it," Skylar remembers. "I got the feel for it and I was like this thing's awesome."

Finding the Right Fit

Skylar and Doug worked through the fitting process in that same backyard, using VertaCat's instructional videos as their guide. They adjusted the seat height so Skylar's legs positioned properly, then fine-tuned the chest strap to provide security without restricting his range of motion.

For someone with a spinal cord injury, proper leg positioning prevents pressure sores in areas where sensation doesn't exist. The chest strap had to lock Skylar in place while still allowing the rotational freedom his golf swing required. 

"It locks my legs in. It has the big chest strap and keeps me secure," Skylar explains. "When I have to rely on the right leg more, I know I'm secure and safe inside the VertaCat."

After testing it around the backyard chipping green, they took the VertaCat to the course where Skylar grew up playing. 

This gave him a path back to the game he loved.

The Transformation Takes Hold

Before the VertaCat, Skylar had swung one-handed because he couldn't find stability in the previous cart he'd tried. 

"Once I started using the VertaCat, it just came quicker and a little bit easier," he says. He could pull directly up to the ball and make last minute adjustments, which meant he focused on his swing mechanics instead of fighting his position.

Within weeks, he switched to a two-handed swing. His game started coming back. Doug noticed the change immediately. "He used to beat me quite a bit before the injury and now he's starting to do it to me already again," Doug laughs. 

But the competition matters less than what it represents. "The only thing you want your kid to be is happy," Doug says. "And this has done it."

For Skylar, the freedom that the VertaCat provides means everything. "It brings back just a sense of normal, something that you thought you might have lost," he says. "I'm not quite as good as I was before the injury, but I know I'm on the way back there."

What Comes Next

Skylar has completed about 15 rounds since that first afternoon in his parents' backyard. He recently competed in the Georgia Adaptive Open and has his sights set on more tournaments. He jokes about one day competing against Max Togisala, but says he has "a long way to go."

His advice to other golfers considering adaptive equipment is: "If golf was a big part of your life before injury, you want to get back to it as soon as you can." Even for people new to the sport, he shares the welcoming nature of the adaptive golf community and the joy of finding something that works is worth it.

"Long term, it's going to pay off tenfold because you're going to experience so many things and just have that joy for the game."

If you're ready to experience what the VertaCat can do for your game, find a location near you to try it out.