Early Life
From a young age Joe Williamson had to overcome a lot. He was born in 1985 and at the time was only given a week to live. He was born with congenital heart disease, and he was born with his liver outside of his body. He had 3 open heart surgeries, 2 surgeries to put his liver back in, surgery on each of his feet, and a handful of other surgeries. As a kid Williamson participated in bowling but was never very competitive. While bowling never provided a place to be competitive, Williamson found competition in Cornhole. Practicing with friends and competing in cornhole has bring out a positive side to Williamson.
Introduction to Cornhole
Williamson was introduced to cornhole through Cornerstone Church when he joined the men’s Life Group that met Monday nights. His friends in the group helped him improve and after a while he decided he was confident enough to start competing outside of the Monday Night Group at church. He continued to practice and improve his game with the help of his Monday Night Group. Williamson said, “Everyone has a different style of throwing and different reasons for why they attack the boards the way they do. It's always great to learn from other people”. Therefore, he tries to practice for events with his friends because he can learn how to throw different ways as well as learn different strategies that he may be able to use in competition. For those who may be interested in cornhole or are just starting to compete he said, “ask questions and to be patient. There are a lot of great throwers out there that you can learn from, but you also have to be patient because with any sport, you're not going to be successful overnight”.
USA Master Games
Williamson is extremely excited to be able to participate in this year's USA Master Games. Competing in this tournament is very special to Williamson because it is taking place at Perrin Brewing which is where he competed in his first competitive cornhole tournament back in 2017. By competing in these games, he hopes to show others who have chronic illnesses and other health issues that cornhole is a sport in which anyone who wants to play can. It allows for those who may not be able to participate in certain sports the chance to compete and have fun with other athletes. Williamson is a great example to people that no matter what obstacles are put in front of you that you can overcome them and find happiness in your life. There are times in which an obstacle such as an illness may change the path you are on but there is always another path you just to have the determination to find it. No matter what obstacle was put in his way Williamson was able to find a way to overcome it and he hopes by sharing his story he can help others do the same. We are extremely grateful to have an athlete like Williamson who has inspired so many athletes, compete in the USA Master Games this summer. We are excited to watch him compete and wish him luck as he gets ready for the USA Master Games Cornhole Tournament.