A stunning golf influencer who has wracked up hundreds of thousands of followers by documenting her journey to becoming a professional athlete has revealed how a horrific battle with an autoimmune disease first prompted her to take up the sport.
Lauren Pacheco, 32, originally from Salinas, California, has gained more than 148,000 followers on Instagram for often showcasing the glamorous perks - as well as the harsh realities - that come with trying to break into the world of golf.
It wasn't until 2020 that she started golfing - and over the last three years, despite having no prior professional experience, she has made waves throughout the sport - participating in some of the most prestigious events on the globe and becoming a popular Instagram star along the way.
But Lauren recently admitted to the New York Post that she never had plans to become a famous athlete or a social media sensation.
A stunning golf influencer has revealed how a horrific battle with an autoimmune disease first prompted her to take up the sport
Lauren Pacheco, 32, from California, has gained more than 148,000 followers for showcasing the glamorous perks and harsh realities that come with trying to break into the world of golf
It wasn't until 2020 that she started golfing - and over the last three years, despite having no prior professional experience, she has made waves throughout the sport
In fact, the star dreamed of being an actress from a young age, but her career goals underwent a major transformation after she began suffering from a mystery illness at age 18.
She has now participated in some of the most prestigious events on the globe - and has become a popular Instagram star along the way
Lauren left her home in the small Californian city to move to Los Angeles after graduating from high school in an attempt to make it as an actress.
But when she started to suffer from stomach issues that made it hard for her to even leave the home, let alone attend auditions, she had to put her dreams on hold.
She said she went 'to a lot of doctors' in an attempt to 'figure out what was wrong with her' - but struggled to find any answers.
She soon started doing immense research on her own, which ultimately launched a newfound passion inside of her for health and nutrition.
'I just had a lot of stomach issues and I had an autoimmune disease. There was just a lot of stuff piling up,' she explained.
'I would go to doctors and they would be like, "Take this pill, take that pill." I didn’t want to keep taking medication, I wanted them to tell me what was wrong.
'So I basically just took it into my own hands and started researching nutrition. I would just be on my computer every day for hours, and reading books … I had to get control of this situation.'
In fact, the star dreamed of being an actress from a young age, but her career goals underwent a major transformation after she began suffering from a mystery illness at age 18
Lauren moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school in an attempt to make it as an actress. But when she started to suffer from stomach issues, she had to put her dreams on hold
She said she went 'to a lot of doctors' in an attempt to 'figure out what was wrong with her' - but struggled to find any answers, and started doing immense research on her own
Lauren said she was able to 'heal herself through diet and supplements.' She then decided to get her health coaching certification, followed by a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness - before landing a job as a health coach and media host.
But when the pandemic hit in early 2020 and she lost her job, she decided to take up golf.
She told the Post that her brother and dad had played the sport regularly throughout her childhood, so when everything shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown and she found herself looking for things to do, she and some friends started taking golf lessons.
Thanks to newfound love of health and fitness, as well as the skills she gained as a media host, Lauren became determined to turn her golfing into a career.
She started posting videos of herself learning to play on social media, and they quickly took off.
Her followers soon started to grow by the thousands - and she credits her popularity with her ability to stay true to herself.
She was able to 'heal herself through diet and supplements' - and it ultimately launched a newfound passion inside of her for health and nutrition
When the pandemic hit in early 2020 and she lost her job, she decided to take up golf. Thanks to newfound love of health and fitness, Lauren soon became determined to turn it into a career
She started posting videos of herself learning to play on social media, and they quickly took off
Her followers soon started to grow by the thousands - and she credits her popularity with her ability to stay true to herself
'I think people like the real side,' said Lauren. 'Like, we weren’t trying to be anything. We weren’t trying to be good [at golf].
'We were just kind of showing the lighter side of golf because it can be so serious and pretty intimidating for a lot of people.
'So I think we just wanted to show the lighter, more fun side, and people loved it. You’re drinking while you’re out there and having a good time.
'I think it’s just important for me throughout this whole thing to be authentic to myself.
'Like I never wanted people to think that I was better than I was or something ... I just want to entertain and have fun with my followers.'
Lauren revealed that she eventually began connecting with other women in the golf community, as well as athletic brands who would offer to sponsor her.
Her feed consists of pictures that show her traveling around the world, taking luxurious vacations, and soaking up the sun in her bikini, but it also includes clips of her missing shots, fan-girling over other famous golfers noticing her, and struggling to break the score 90.
Her feed consists of pictures that show her traveling around the world, taking luxurious vacations, and soaking up the sun in her bikini
Lauren is currently gearing up to marry her longtime boyfriend, whose identity is being kept hidden from her followers for privacy reasons
As for her future, she hopes to one day launch her own podcast and release her own line of golf apparel
She has now been invited to play at numerous tournaments, including the Oakley Tournament at the Waste Management Open, the opening of X-Golf in Chicago, CSE and Maxim’s Celebrity Golf Classic in Long Island, and the launch of EA Sports PGA Tour video game. She also appeared as a guest on The Celebrity Golf Show on YouTube.
Lauren is currently gearing up to marry her longtime boyfriend, whose identity is being kept hidden from her followers for privacy reasons.
'I feel like I struggled a lot when I was in my 20s, but I have always felt very blessed,' she gushed.
'I know it’s been crazy, but I’m just one of those people that [believes] everything happens for a reason.
'I don’t really have any regrets in my life because I always feel like whatever has happened to me has brought me to whatever is next, which is usually something great or even if it starts out bad. This career path brought me to my fiancé.'
As for her future, she hopes to one day launch her own podcast and release her own line of golf apparel.
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