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Sandra grew up in Germany, surrounded by fields, forests, and the occasional cow. She was creative from the start - painting, acting, playing violin, wakeboarding - anything that let her express something. Golf came later, around 14, and it slowly took over.
She moved to the U.S. for college, studied advertising at the University of Florida, and quietly built a world-class career on the LPGA Tour. A win, top tens, Solheim Cups, the Olympics. From the outside, her story looked like a steady climb. Inside, it was more layered - equal parts discipline, curiosity, and a constant search for balance.
In 2019, she stepped away from competition. Years of pressure, travel, and expectation had caught up with her. That time off became a reset, one that helped her separate who she is from what she achieves.
Today, she splits her time between playing, painting, mentoring young golfers, and running the Sandra Gal Foundation, which supports young players with resources, guidance, and mental health awareness. She’s still competitive, still creative, but with a softer edge - someone who learned that progress doesn’t always look like performance.
Sandra's story is about what happens when performing starts to replace living. Which is a surprisingly easy trap to fall into, especially in competitive golf where the entire system is designed to measure you constantly.
For years, golf gave her structure. Early flights, practice routines, leaderboards, and a clear sense of purpose. It worked brilliantly, until the structure began to swallow everything else. When your value depends on how well you perform, rest starts to feel like guilt, and success starts to feel like survival. Which is exhausting, and also completely unsustainable, though you often only realise that after you've been doing it for years.
Stepping back wasn't about quitting. It was about catching her breath. Creating space gave her perspective, the kind you can only get when you're not constantly chasing the next tournament or obsessing over swing mechanics. Time to explore painting, mentoring, and what joy looked like without a scorecard attached to it.
Now she treats golf as one part of a bigger life. Creativity, calm, and curiosity have replaced the constant need to prove herself. Golf's still there, still important, but it's sitting alongside other things rather than crushing them into the background.
Sandra's story shows that balance isn't always found by walking away from what you love. Sometimes it's about learning to hold it more lightly. To let it be something you do rather than everything you are.
If parts of Sandra’s story connect with you, these might help:
Burnout and Performance Pressure – Mind has a guide on understanding burnout and how to rebuild balance when your work or sport starts running the show.
🔗 mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress
Finding Balance and Purpose – Sport In Mind supports people using sport and exercise to improve their mental health, with local projects and resources across the UK.
🔗 sportinmind.org
Therapy and Support Options – NHS Talking Therapies offers free, confidential counselling you can self-refer to anywhere in England.
🔗 nhs.uk/talking-therapies
Mindfulness and Reset – Headspace and Calm both provide free introductory sessions that can help with stress, focus, and creating breathing space between performance and rest.
🔗 headspace.com
🔗 calm.com
If You’re Struggling Right Now (24/7) –
• UK: Call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
• US: Dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988lifeline.org)
• Worldwide: Find verified helplines in your country at findahelpline.com
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