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Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ANN WANGUI IRURA storyDuring a golf session for youngsters at Kenya Railway Golf Club you can hear the shouts of joy as children with a disability play on a golf course for the first time. “Watching the kids sharing something special as they play golf together, it makes everything worthwhile,” says Ann Wangui Irura.
Anita, as friends call her, is an administration assistant at a school for children with special needs in Nairobi called Kenya Community Centre for Learning (KCCL). Eight years ago when trying different sports to engage with the students, she tried golf and realised the game could help...2024-11-1220 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe STACEY JOHNSTON-GLEASON storyStacey Johnston-Gleason lives practically on the first tee box of the Mission Mountain Golf Course, a flat sweep of green nestled against the rugged peaks of western Montana. To some, living on ‘Hole One’ might sound like a flippant remark, but to Stacey, it’s something more—a way of being, a kind of metaphor for how she’s tackled life: one shot, one challenge at a time.
Her connection to the Special Olympics runs deep. Born with fetal alcohol syndrome and adopted later in life, she found her family through the community that had already given her so muc...2024-10-2310 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe GUY HARRISON story“When I was a little boy the doctors told my family that I wouldn’t be able to walk, run, bike or swim, and would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.”
Fast forward 20 years and Guy Harrison, 23, from New Zealand, was preparing to play on the G4D Tour in Spain; playing with some confidence after working hard on his game and competing to a high standard – off his 8.3 golf handicap – propelling himself up the Net World Ranking for Golfers with Disability.
Guy, who has cerebral palsy, says today: “Golf is my true love – g...2024-10-1108 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe RICCARDO BIANCIARDI storyRiccardo Bianciardi is a strong advertisement for all the good in Italian golf as he says hello to us in his smart azure blue Italian shirt bearing his national badge, and greeting us with a wide smile.
For some time now, golf has been a salvation for him, helping him engage with life following the neurological condition he was born with but also as a balm for recent struggles. In October 2018, Riccardo had a kidney transplant that wasn’t successful. He therefore had to start kidney dialysis, and looking for distraction after five months in recovery he too...2024-09-2611 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe NATASHA STASIUK storyNatasha Stasiuk finds her inner calm through golf.
This friendly 26-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, clearly loves the game. When considering her own improving performances, winning tournaments and helping to fly the flag for Canada, she will agree this is partly due to a lot of hard work and support, but success for her also means the joy she feels in playing on a golf course, looking for the perfect swing; all an antidote to the anxieties of life.
Living with Autism for Natasha includes also managing an auditory processing condition.
She tells us: “Play...2024-09-0311 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe DANNY AND DIANA DANIELS storyImagine playing some great golf aged 87, having given up the game once aged 75 because you had gone blind. From losing his sight in his seventies to enjoying golf again with the help of his guide, the story of Danny Daniels is remarkable.
At first his age-related sight loss threatened to beat Danny, but his wife of nearly 60 years, Diana, wouldn’t let him give up and turn his back on the game he loved.
Instead, Diana volunteered to become Danny’s guide out on the golf course (learning about the game gradually). Today Danny and Diana...2024-08-2615 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe RENÉ SCHWENK storyRené Schwenk, a native of Pforzheim in South West Germany, embodies the spirit of perseverance and dedication that defines a true athlete. René shares, “Why do I love golf? Because it’s a sport in which you’re never going to be perfect, so you always have to work on yourself. Sometimes it’s really challenging, but it brings you a lot of joy, working on yourself and reaching small goals.”
Despite the physical and mental tests René has faced as a young man, his resilience helped him adjust to playing the game again and today he is playing so...2024-08-1207 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe SIMON SEUNGMIN LEE story“They pulled me out of darkness and made me walk to the light of the world. They always encouraged my challenge,” said Simon Seungmin Lee, from the Republic of Korea.
The then 25-year-old spoke these words in 2022 when thanking his parents after his victory in the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open (a tournament he has subsequently nearly won on two further occasions, including July, 2024).
Many of us can only imagine what it is like to work so hard in order to compete in high level golf, let alone hole the putts that win the trophy. And t...2024-07-2312 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe CASPER HOLST-CHRISTENSEN storyCasper Holst-Christensen, hailing from Denmark, attributes his deep-rooted passion for golf to his father, Jon. “My love of golf stems from my Dad,” Casper reflects fondly. “I think he actually bought me and my brother clubs back when we were four or five years old.”
Living with ASD, or to give its full name, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Casper experiences the world uniquely. “For me, I’m very impaired in my hearing, so I don’t really have any sense of filter. I hear every single thing going on around me all the time.”
Casper has trained himself ov...2024-07-0504 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe KEN GREEN storyIn professional tour golf at the very highest level, Ken Green has played with the very finest, and beaten them. He will tell you why the “extreme highs and lows” of golf are both equally necessary to feed the soul, and that his love of the game has helped many times in shoring him up through many troubled days and family tragedy.
During the 1980s, this five-time US PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup player competed against the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros.
In 2024, Ken plays as a rig...2024-06-2516 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe DAVID QUINN storyIreland’s David Quinn always said he would walk again after the car accident in the Wicklow mountains which so nearly killed him.
The significant injuries to his back and right leg left the 21-year-old paralysed for some time; he would take eight months of rehabilitation before he could leave the wheelchair and walk out of the hospital on crutches, but he made it. His reward now is he can smell the cut grass on a beautiful golf course every day.
David loves golf and regularly plays EDGA tournaments. Fortunately, his hell-for-leather days as a cham...2024-06-0916 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe MICHELLE LAU storyIn this edition of the EDGA Podcast we feature Michelle Lau, an English golfer who this January made her debut on the G4D Tour, the pinnacle of golf for the disabled (G4D), in the United Arab Emirates.
This was a remarkable achievement for someone who only in May last year, when preparing for her first competitive G4D event, was fearing she would not ‘fit in’ with her non-visible disability.
Thankfully Michelle, who has Autism and ADHD, stuck to her task and received a warm welcome from her fellow players. As a golfer, she i...2024-05-1015 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe LUISA CEOLA storyIn this edition of the EDGA Podcast we write about Italian golfer Luisa Ceola. We featured Luisa a few years back when she was making her way in golf for the disabled after serious health struggles. But we had to chat to Luisa again, as added to her lasting love of the game, a focused competitive streak led to her winning the Italian Open in 2023 and then qualifying for the first ever ‘Net’ tournament presented by the international G4D Tour, held in the United Arab Emirates recently.
A deserved honour, and a great achievement for the playe...2024-04-1909 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe FRANK SORBER storyIn 1999, Frank Sorber lost his left leg after a motor accident. Four months later he drove a car 1,200km around Ireland. The 62 year-old long time student of the Japanese martial art of Aikido has a mindset of living in the present, enjoying seeking what is here now. And he seems to like what he finds.
Frank had been a non-golfer, but eight years after the accident he went to lunch one day at a restaurant on a golf course. There, he saw on the wall in front of him a large photograph of an older man, a...2024-03-0714 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe METTE HAVNAAS storyIt was a treat for our latest EDGA podcast to meet Norwegian golfer Mette Havnaas.
Mette hears when she plays a good shot, she doesn’t see it. ‘Top notch’ is how she describes the sound when a putt has fallen to the bottom of the cup.
It takes courage for someone who has lost their sight as an adult to learn a completely new sport as Mette has done, and then to travel to different European venues to play in tournaments.
Central to her giving this interview Mette wanted to make other people wi...2024-02-2317 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ROBIN 'RAMBO' SINGH story“I lost a leg, others have lost legs and arms, it’s not the end of the world,” Robin Singh explains. “I had an accident in 1991 and had the amputation carried out in 1992, and I never looked back. That’s life. If you are confident in what you’re doing, nothing is going to stop you.”
Fast forward to January 2024, and Robin ‘Rambo’ Singh was able to feel the intense satisfaction of competitive honours when he lifted up the handsome trophy at the end of the G4D Tour @ Ras Al Khaimah Championship, in the heat of the United Arab Em...2024-02-0912 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe CARLOS RODERO storyA genial and friendly white-haired Spaniard, Carlos Álvarez Rodero has the look perhaps of a typical golf traveller when we meet him in Portugal. However, though his story of how he arrived in golf is far from typical, what is possibly less surprising is how much the game has given this man who overcame severe injury and trauma.
A keen motorcyclist, when he was 32 years-old and heading to work he collided head-on with a car. The damage was severe.
Carlos’s life changed again in a highly positive way when he discovered golf.
He te...2024-01-2607 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe GUSTAV STIGSSON-ANDERSSON storySwedish golfer Gustav Stigsson-Andersson, 18, says: “I think golf is the best thing ever, mostly mentally as it is so much fun. I strive to be a role model for golfers, not only for golfers with disability but also juniors at my club.”
Gustav had followed his Dad to the golf range aged 13, thinking it might be fun. “I had my left arm amputated below my elbow. I usually describe it as: ‘I don’t have a left hand’,” he explains to youngsters at Karlstad GC.
With a handicap near scratch and impressing at the EGA European Champio...2024-01-1213 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe LILIANE CAMBRE storyBelgian golfer Liliane Cambré smiles and chats with her fellow golfers on the clubhouse terrace. Her relaxed politeness belies at first the adventurous spirit that has long been within her, and perhaps more lately the courage she has had to draw upon. The other G4D (golf for the disabled) players at Vila Sol for the EDGA Algarve Open clearly respect her and enjoy talking to Liliane. She tells us: “We must always enjoy it, that’s what we are here for.”
At these EDGA events Liliane says she is always impressed by the players and their will to pe...2023-12-1415 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe JACOPO LUCE storyA successful student requires a thirst to learn, clarity of thought, an even temperament, and plenty of patience. And perhaps a little resilience. If this summary is correct, then Italian golfer Jacopo Luce fulfils the brief in exemplary fashion.
The 29-year-old, who hails from close to Venice, explains his mantra: “Focus, patience, and also never surrender. Never give up.”
This is a game of millimetres. Jacopo was born with a disability described as bilateral ‘hemiparesis’, a neurological impairment that affects both sides of his body, while he also has a related vision impairment. Some of his move...2023-11-0213 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ISSA NLAREB storyThis edition of the EDGA Podcast features Issa Nlareb from Cameroon, a professional golfer who, thanks to a lot of guts and determination, is demonstrating his very fine golf swing once again.
In 2018, Issa faced bacterial meningitis that led to sepsis, double leg amputation and severely damaged hands.
This August, he savoured the moment of arrival on the first tee at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, County Antrim, for his debut on the G4D Tour.
Issa says: “Throughout my life I wanted to write a story of the street child that I was, fo...2023-10-2012 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe NICLAS AMUNDSEN storyA young man who loves being out in nature, jumps into a sparkling woodland pool for a swim and breaks his neck as he collides with a rock under the surface of the water.
But life can surprise us. Some 30 years on, Niclas Amundsen is able to revel in the natural splendour all around him. He can walk again, and that he often chooses to do so on a golf course speaks volumes as to how much he values the benefits of the game.
The friendly Norwegian lost a lot of movement in his left si...2023-10-0513 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe KIM MOORE storyKim Moore, the Head Women's Golf Coach of West Michigan University, offers a broad smile when talking about golf: this is a person who is passionate about the game, both as an accomplished player herself and professional mentor to new players.
We met up with Kim when she was playing in the inaugural ‘G4D Open’ (golf for the disabled) at Woburn, England, which is linked directly to The Open itself. Kim would win this landmark tournament and lift the trophy to deserved international acclaim.
Leg amputee Moore has a message for all her university stude...2023-09-2115 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe DECLAN BURNS storyDeclan Burns grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland, in a close family who loved the game of golf. Declan, a talented guitarist, went on to work in London in the music industry but not long before his 30th birthday he had a horrific motorbike accident.
With the help of his family his resilience then kicked in, fighting for small gains through the slow recovery, all testament to Declan’s tough inner core; never giving up.
That the game of golf, and the family memories of watching all the great players on TV in Derry, have all...2023-09-0819 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe PAAL ANGERMAN storyIn this edition of the EDGA podcast, we interview Norwegian golfer Paal Angerman.
In 2018, Paal was a good golfer, enjoying life with his family, when he suffered damage to the brain caused by an infection. While the illness affected Paal’s balance, strength and concentration, golf offered a great way of rebuilding his confidence through pushing himself physically and mentally.
The 54 year-old can today play to a 12.7 handicap and is looking forward to his second visit to the RSM European Net & Stableford Play-offs in England in September.
Paal says: “I feel lucky that I have...2023-08-2410 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe MATTHEW JONES storyIn his work as a travel rep and tour guide, helping holidaying customers to find the best bars and restaurants, Matthew Jones would often be driving past golf courses but never gave them a thought.
And if Covid-19 hadn’t ripped the heart out of the tourism business in 2020, Matt may still be out there somewhere in Spain, Ibiza or elsewhere in the Med.
However, Matt’s adventures in sunny climes and his passion for golf, are certainly linked, because both boosted his feelings of positivity – an impressive mindset which he exhibits as a new player...2023-08-0416 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe JULIA BOWEN storyIn this edition of the EDGA Podcast we learn that Australian Julia Bowen’s first days out in Sydney after three months in hospital, following a bad motorbike crash, were very difficult.
“It was a scary thing for me because I've always been this big tough, get-out-there, take on the world type of person. And to feel scared just because there are all these people around me, it's like, ‘Wow, what the hell's happening to me?’ That was a big wake-up call.”
The problems faced by serious injury and a long period of rehab can affect peopl...2023-07-2017 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe PATRICK ROSENAST storyIn this edition of the EDGA podcast we meet Patrick Rosenast, a Swiss golfer who fought back with his capacity to see a glass half-full. A remarkable man with some remarkable friends… making a winning combination.
Patrick will tell you he is fortunate to have emerged from a couple of dark places and he is in no doubt of the part that his wife Rovena, his kids, family and friends played in supporting him. It was just in late 2020 that brain surgery led to haemorrhage and the symptoms of stroke, and ironically part of the reason he is...2023-07-0823 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ROB WALDEN storyIn our latest EDGA player profile we talk to a remarkable golfer called Rob Walden.
“Seven years ago, I would have never dreamed this would be happening, I was in a dark place,” said Rob, a scratch golfer who lives near Phoenix, Arizona. “I had always loved golf but I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I’ve got to without the support of my wife Julie and my son Jake after the accident. And golf was so important as part of my rehabilitation. Every time I take a shot today it feels like a hammer to the hand...2023-06-1518 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ERIKA MALMBERG storyIn this edition of our EDGA Podcast, Sweden’s Erika Malmberg helps us to remember that although every individual is different, we can all share a love for playing golf.
The G4D Open at Woburn, England (May 10-12), with its connections to the famed Open Championship itself – was a historic affair. The tournament offered a week of firsts for many of the 80 competitors from 17 countries around the world.
Few present will have done more to spread awareness of the benefits, and also the personal challenges of golf and life, than Erika Malmberg.
This b...2023-06-0114 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe G4D Open EpisodeThis edition of the EDGA profiles reviews The G4D Open at Woburn. It was competed for by 80 men and women with a disability from 17 countries. All types of impairment were represented – playing in nine sport classes in this tournament staged by The R&A in partnership with the DP World Tour, and supported by EDGA.
Many EDGA players who did not hit a shot at Woburn have also played a key part of course. These ‘golfers first’ have created the seismic shift in ‘G4D’ in the last few years: every EDGA player should be proud of their r...2023-05-1912 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe TONY BENNETT storyIn this latest Tough Love & Second Chances podcast, we talk with the volunteer President of EDGA Tony Bennett about exciting progress for ‘G4D’ (golf for the disabled) and his personal story that is steeped in the game.
EDGA seeks to help any new golfer with a disability to ‘sample’ (try), ‘participate’ (play on a course) and/or ‘compete’ (take your new skill as far as you can in tournaments).
Because of Tony’s rich background in the game (he has been a professional player, a PGA coach and development specialist before volunteering for EDGA), he is as well-place...2023-04-2520 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe FIONA GRAY story“I live, breathe, and crawl out of bed to be able to play golf.”
Words that show, for those who endure long-term injuries and conditions, that golf can be a vital part of your future.
Spoken by Fiona Gray from Northern Ireland, they resonate for 2023, after the latest surgery on her left knee (her 10th). Fiona is the Junior Convenor at St Patrick’s Golf Club in County Down, offering a weekly welcome to 70 boys and girls as they all learn the game together. This is also the year where she is honoured to be the clu...2023-03-2314 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe ALESSANDRA DONATI storyIn this episode we catch up with Alessandra Donati, whose love of golf has helped her deal much better with her condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a progressive neuropathy disease. Every year life can become more challenging but at this time her passion for golf only increases, the sport helping her physically and mentally.
Rather than her own game, Alessandra, or Ale (pronounced “Aleee”) is keen instead to talk about helping more people with a disability to try golf; to enjoy the nature, the friendship and the great feeling that golf can offer us all. For these reasons, she has...2023-02-2209 min
Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe DYLAN BAINES storyIn 2017, Dylan Baines was involved in a car accident in south Wales which could easily have killed him. He would wake up in hospital with a broken neck, paralysed, to be told by a doctor it was unlikely he would walk again. He was 22 at the time.
The rehabilitation has been slow but also careful. Just under five years later it was remarkable to be talking to Dylan in the sunshine of Portugal for the last EDGA Tour golf event of 2022; with Welshman Dylan Baines the popular winner in the Net category, applauded by new friends among 80...2023-02-1013 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe NICK CARROLL storyNick Carroll, from Western Australia, loves golf. A player who really cares about their sport tends to have certain qualities. Simply feeling respect for the game is an important one; striving to improve and be the best golfer you can be – well that’s worth playing the game for in itself. Similarly, a genuine desire to help others to enjoy golf should also earn you a lucky bounce or two on the fairways.
Nick Carroll certainly makes the cut in all of the above. He lives with the condition of autism and this can get in the way...2023-01-2513 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe TROND LIA storyThis EDGA Profile is a little different as though it features one of our golfers, Rasmus Lia, we are delighted to talk with his father, Trond Lia, who is a very proud Dad and for a good reason.
It was an exciting trip when Trond travelled with his son Rasmus from their home in Sweden to Dubai, in November 2022. 21-year-old Rasmus had qualified for the season-ending G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship.
This was a dream for Rasmus very much hard-earned. The young man had recovered from a serious skiing accident as...2023-01-1112 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe BEN TULLIPAN Story“Life is 10 per cent what happens to you, and 90 per cent what you make it.”
This is the mindset of Australian Ben Tullipan, who adds: “If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.”
Late in the evening of the 12th October 2002, a then 27-year-old Ben Tullipan was a young businessman importing furniture from Bali, Indonesia, for his homewares shop on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Ben had always seen himself as a ‘people person’. He liked to get to know the folk around him and enjoyed chatting to anyone and everyone. His friends knew him as a very...2022-10-0517 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Juan Postigo Arce Story ContinuedJuan Postigo Arce has become one of the most recognisable faces among golfers with a disability anywhere in the world, and is much admired for the way he plays the game and the positive message he conveys: that golf can be for everyone.
The low-scoring Spaniard certainly deserves the acclaim in which he is held. At the time of writing, he stands at number 3 in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), where after being one of the stand-out EDGA players of recent years, he came back from injuries to win, among others, the 2021 Madrid...2022-09-0604 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe OLIVER HIRST-GREENHAM StoryNormally a relaxed, chatty character, Oliver Hirst-Greenham appeared distinctly nervous as he entered the clubhouse at Thonock Park Golf Club, Lincolnshire, for his first EDGA tournament back in June. The PING Open for Golfers with a Disability was certainly all new territory for him. Oliver’s disability isn’t that noticeable, and he had been worrying about this: would he look like he was an intruder? Was there anyone else like him in the tournament? Would he fit in with the other players? This was the first day at a whole new school. Later in the day after his practice...2022-08-0915 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAJennifer Sräga at the 150th Open ChampionshipIt was St Andrews – the ‘home of golf’ – and surely the most eagerly awaited Open Championship for decades. Staged against a backdrop of 290,000 spectators from all over the world, millions more golfers and non golfers were experiencing The 150th Open on their screens and phones.
On the Monday practice day, The R&A hosted the ‘Celebration of Champions’, a unique four-hole team match now established during Open Championship week whenever the event is played at this historic golf venue; the fans saying thank you to the likes of Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Georgia Hall, Nick Faldo, Bob C...2022-07-2705 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe RICH WHITE storyAfter nearly 10 years of struggle with a debilitating neck and spine injury in 2012, Rich White explains that through golf he has rediscovered an absorbing sport from his childhood: that has boosted, significantly, his body and soul. Physically it has given him a way back, made him stronger, while the mental tonic has been “exceptional” for him. With three EDGA events under his belt by July, Rich says he feels like he has found a place to ‘belong’ again for the first time in many years. After the very darkest of times, golf, and the golfers around him, are the medicine...2022-07-1118 min
Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Manon Eggermont StoryManon Eggermont is the Director of Tournaments for EDGA. When overseeing a championship, she meets the competitors as they sign in before the event and is constantly impressed with how these golfers, with a range of disabilities, prepare to take on the course and push themselves to the maximum.
Some of the players first get to know her on competition day when they hand in their scorecards after aiming to break 70, 80 or 90, whatever their goal is on the day.
Back in 2012, when a doctor told the then 40 year-old Manon to be prepared that she might n...2022-03-0816 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Per-Christian Nygren storyPer-Christian Nygren says that when he was a teenager, the sport of motocross was like a drug. While it gave him undoubted ‘highs’ which he remembers fondly, it would also come at a cost in the form of a major crash when he was aged 16; in which he received multiple injuries including a permanently paralysed left arm. Having experienced this trauma, his courage, the ‘never wanting to give up’, conflicted with the more safety conscious of his thoughts.
For a man who had to deal with life-changing injuries, competition with others on a golf course is just one smal...2022-01-1113 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Graeme Mazur storyThe ready, twinkling smile is there on the face of Graeme Mazur. He might have to search harder for the right word on occasion, but he finds it. Because of what happened to him as a boy his dreams of becoming a world-beating professional golfer stalled.
On Tuesday, January 18, 2000, Graeme set off for his morning paper round at 6.30am on his mountain bike in High Holdern, near Ashford. At around 7.00am, a car hit him full on at a junction, Graeme flying across the bonnet, his head smashing into the windscreen. Fast forward to today and the...2021-12-1418 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Heather and Martine Gilks StoryFew people could be better advocates for the inclusive, welcoming and fulfilling aspects of golf than Martine and Heather Gilks.
Mother Martine and daughter Heather are enthusiastic, and their recent experiences in the sport demonstrate why golf can be so good for the mental and physical health of all who take part in it.
From playing across the generations, enjoying the social side of golf, competing and seeking personal improvement to reach their potential, to simply enjoying fresh air and exercise, Martine, Heather and their friends embody why golf can be the most inclusive game...2021-12-0116 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe EDGA Dubai Finale 2021This weeks Tough Love and Second Chances Podcast is a little different with a preview of the eight players competing in the EDGA Dubai Finale being played alongside the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf.
These eight players have made it to the finale, but not by invitation. These players filled the top positions in the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability. Each of the top 16 available players competed in two of four events alongside European Tour events on the UK swing in July and August. Those sixteen players were streamlined to eight qualifiers, so...2021-11-1620 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Kipp Popert StoryKipp Popert has had a golf club in his hands since he was a tiny kid. The game is part of his psyche, and the way he plays his golf helps him to 'press on', and meet life's challenges eye-to-eye.
Kipp clearly relishes the physical and mental struggle that is seeing him be the best he can possibly be. Kipp was born with Cerebral Palsy, a form called Spastic diplegia, which impairs the muscular movement in his legs.
"There's beauty in the struggle I guess… The tip I would give is never let anyone else se...2021-11-0216 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Miroslav Halmo StoryImagine never having tried golf and then just 18 months later playing in the final of a European matchplay tournament, teeing off with highly experienced players in front of an assembled crowd, filmed by professional cameramen for the golfing media. Miroslav Halmo faced this pressure situation just recently in the EDGA-RSM European Playoff Series in England. He said later it was like something in a dream, but in his exalted state, he still talked as much about helping other people with disabilities to enjoy golf as he did his own game. Just 18 months in, golf has arrived in his life...2021-10-1915 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Vincent Helly StoryUntil Vincent Helly was six years old, he didn’t speak at all. In his early years he lived in silence.
His family faced severe anxiety with the pessimistic diagnoses of doctors at the time. Put him in a psychiatric clinic was the view. If autism is often misunderstood today, there was far greater ignorance of the condition even 20 years ago.
This summer, at the age of 25, Vincent has been representing his friends and family and his home venue of Golf de Moliets in the South of France, as he teed off in two EDGA Eu...2021-10-0511 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tero Tapani Peltola StoryIn 1992 I visited Finland to play in a representative match between British Club Professionals and Finnish Club Professionals at Kurk Golf Club just north of Helsinki. It was my first time in the land of clean air, the northern lights and Santa Claus. Tero Peltola is connected with nature and uses the long summer days to play before work on his own and afterwards with his family. Tero was speaking during a two-week stint at European Tour events in Scotland and England, where eight golfers with a disability teed it up alongside the stars of the European Tour.
2021-09-2113 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Kurtis Barkley StoryFew people will have a clearer focus on the ups and downs of golf, and the ups and downs of life, than Kurtis.
Kurtis was born with scoliosis, which is a deformity of the spine. His spine curves three different ways, and the greatest of these curves is around 50 degrees. Kurtis grew up south of Ottawa, out in the countryside, and it was here that golf started on an old driving range when he was just three years old. Kurtis ended going to the course when he was about seven years old and has been addicted to...2021-09-0716 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Petri Takkunen StoryIt seems that Petri Takkunen goes about his business quietly. Petri enjoys and is good at three different sports, Shooting, Archery and Golf. These are not the sports that he had once played, but after losing his left arm in a car accident 25 years ago, and when the doctors told him that he couldn't go to work anymore, he decided that 24 hours per day without work or a hobby was just too much.
I caught up with Petri ahead of the first of two EDGA-European Tour events that he was due to play in. We had the...2021-08-2413 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Felix Norrman StoryFor the last week I have had the pleasure of being in the company of Felix Norrman along with seven other players as they competed in the EDGA - European Tour Cazoo Open at the 2010 Ryder Cup course in Celtic Manor.
These few days have allowed me to get to know Felix a little more and to understand what makes him tick. The 24 year old Swedish player finished 3rd in Wales and when I recorded this podcast on the Ferry from Liverpool to Belfast, I knew that I was speaking about a determined, calm and ambitious young...2021-07-2715 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Duncan Hamilton-Martin StoryOne of the first golfers with a disability I saw play was Duncan Hamilton-Martin. Duncan was playing in Swindon, and I was there to observe the event. My objective was to get a feel for what golf for the disabled was all about. Duncan was on the tee, and if I remember rightly, he ripped a tee shot down the middle. Off he went down the fairway as if it was the most natural thing in the world. For Duncan, it was, as you will hear in this story of accepting what you have and simply getting on with...2021-07-1319 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Barry McCluskey StoryLosing sight in one eye to a genetic condition is bad enough, but when the same disease strikes in the other eye, some 17 years later, well, that is a whole different story. Barry McCluskey is registered blind, yet since losing his sight in both eyes, he has improved golf due to better focus. More focus on practising the right way and developing an appreciation for the game of golf has to offer has made all the difference.
Please enjoy the story of Barry McCluskey.2021-06-2920 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Jigs Denby StorySometimes a person’s courage and positive attitude leave a clear imprint on those they meet. This is one of those times. When he was born in Tasmania, southeast Australia, his father and uncles continued a family tradition and gave him a nickname. In Aussie lingo, he was a bit of a “big jiggler” and so we now find ourselves talking to ‘Jigs' Denby and boy does he have a powerful story to tell.
Please enjoy the story of Jigs Denby.2021-06-1519 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Gavin Burden StoryAccording to the UK National Health Service, almost 2 million people are living with sight loss. This is the story of just one. Gavin Burden from Salisbury in Wiltshire.
Gavin tells us about how a brain tumour, which possibly had been growing since he was a youngster, manifested itself first with migraines and finally with vision problems. In this story Gavin talks about work, family and the tough times he has endured over the last couple of decades and how he has used golf to give him both solace and enjoyment.
Please enjoy the story of...2021-06-0114 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Mark Smith StoryMark Smith has been a stalwart of golf for the disabled for the entire period since EDGA was formed. That doesn’t mean to say that he is old, far from it. His first forays into international competition took place while he was still but a youngster, and he has gathered a wealth of experience and a catalogue of great stories.
With an impressive category one handicap, a game built on accuracy and a good short game, Mark is a formidable competitor. Mark talks about the friends he has made through golf and the importance of a bud...2021-05-1919 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Mariano Tubio StoryThis is the story of Mariano Tubio. The golf course in Ranelagh had been like a second home for Mariano who as youngster was inspired to reach 1 handicap by spending time with and watching the 1967 champion golfer of the year, the legendary Argentinian golfer Roberto de Vicenzo who played at the club. An accident at 28 years of age turned that one handicap player into a fifteen handicap player, but never dampened his enthusiasm to play the game.
Please enjoy the story of Mario Tubio.2021-05-0421 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Andy Stevenson StoryThis is the story of Andy Stevenson from England. Broadcaster and TV producer Andy Stevenson describes himself on his Twitter profile as being born “without a full complement of limbs”. What Andy modestly omits from this profile is his ‘full complement’ of career highs so far. Just as he was inspired by great figures in UK broadcasting as a boy, we hope his unique story here can inspire a few youngsters to consider not only giving golf a try, but serious journalism too.
Andy’s story is just as inspiring as those he tells on his award winning po...2021-04-2028 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Kirsty Wilkinson StoryThis is the story of Kirsty Wilkinson from Australia. Kirsty says that when life is a real struggle, sometimes, somehow, you have to “just get out there”, and let the rest look after itself. Kirsty Wilkinson did just that, with a golf club in her hands, and it put a smile back on her face again.
Two car accidents, diagnosis of a condition called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a brother who suffered a brain tumour and years of pain management all led to depression. Kirsty found that golf made a huge difference to her life, helping her physical and m...2021-04-0618 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tommaso Perrino StoryThis is the story of Tommaso Perrino from Itlay. Tommaso was on the path to a life on the European Tour before a motorcycle accident at just 17 years of age, which led to years of rehabilitation and cost him a career as a professional player.
His passion for the game was never in doubt, and today, he coaches, helping others to get the maxim from their games and living life in the world of golf which gives him great joy.
Please enjoy the story of Tommaso Perrino. 2021-03-2319 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Manuel de los Santos StoryThis is the story of Manuel de los Santos from The Dominican Republic. I have had the privilege to get to know Manuel and his wife Elena over the last ten years or so. In this interview we reached into areas that Manuel has never before discussed in public.
I thank both Manuel and Elena for trusting me with the details of an early life that brings context to the man who has earned the respect and love of many in the world of golf.2021-03-0923 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Masato Koyamada StoryMasato Koyamada is living proof that despite life's inevitable ups and downs, the years we are given are to be embraced, used to the very best of our ability and above all to be enjoyed.
I must confess that I do not speak Japanese and also reveal that Masato doesn't speak English, although I suspect his understanding of my first language is better than mine of his. Masato and I communicated through text and translators, but his story's power is such that it simply has to be told.
This is a story about life, how we...2021-02-2313 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Chad Pfeifer StoryIn late November and early December 2019, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my guest for this episode. My first time seeing him play was earlier in the year when he was competing in the US Disabled Open at the Independence Club in Richmond, Virginia. It was great to watch him play, but even better to get to know the man behind the beard.
This is the story of Chad Pfeifer.2021-02-0921 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Christian Nachtwey StoryPeople who make things out of wood are artisans first, but many are engineers, artists, and some are even game changers for the modern world.
One day a German carpenter had the creative foresight to envisage a wheelchair-based powered machine, which would become the ‘ParaGolfer’, and he built his early models out of wood. Christian was looking intently at the problem because he needed the assistance it might offer him, having been paralysed from the waist down in a recent motorcycle accident. His ingenuity would transform the lives of a great many people who were previously not able...2021-01-2624 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Alessandra Donati StoryAlessandra Donati from Italy is passionate about life, golf, and helping others find the game that is making a difference for her and many others. Ale took the time to chat with me about her neuropathic disease with a long name, Charcot-Marie-Tooth that can be shortened to just three letters, CMT. Ale explains the importance she places on golf, from a physical perspective, and how golf allowed her to step out of the shadows, where she would sometimes hide in her early years.
If you would like to boost your spirits or remember the good things that...2021-01-1211 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Kate Pollard StoryMy conversation with Kate Pollard took place at the Australian All Abilities Championship in Sydney. Sue, my wife, had spent some time chatting with Kate over the previous few days and suggested I should speak with Kate.
Kate was happy to chat, and what follows is a story of what she, her husband Scott and the rest of her family deal with, when their son Cameron tees it up in every round. It is a record of her experiences of being a parent of a player who was about to compete on the biggest stage.
P...2020-12-1520 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Julien Mouchet StoryI caught up with Julien Mouchet at his home in the southwestern part of France. He had just finished his day’s work at an inclusive enterprise where 50% of the employees are people with disability. Julien manages the call centre and so I was grateful that he took just one more call that day to record this interview.
Cancer in his left hip at just 19 years of age resulted in a significant difference in leg length, and a giant transformation in his approach to golf in the years that followed.
Please enjoy the story of Ju...2020-12-0114 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Terry Kirby Story"It's not the end of the world, it's not the end of your life. In many ways, it's the beginning. It's just a new chapter."
These are the words of Terry Kirby from Hull in England. His story is one that is all too common. But what is not common is how Terry has accepted the set-backs he has faced with a dry sense of humour and a commitment to make the best of his life.
This is the story of Terry Kirby.
These profiles are now in the third year and are s...2020-11-1719 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tony Coates StoryTony Coates is the epitome of a straight-talking Aussie who has taken the cards that life has dealt him in his stride. I sat down with Tony just a few hours before he was about to tee off in the Presidents Cup Demonstration event, at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The thought of playing for Australia against an International team, over the same course where some of the world's best Tour players had played, raised Tony’s heart rate, though in fairness, probably by not more than a couple of percentage points.
Tony is laid-back, and in th...2020-11-0322 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Nicky Weeks StoryMy guest this week is former amateur jockey Nicky Weeks from England. I caught up with Nicky a day before she played in an event in the Rose Series during the 2020 Covid period.
Nicky was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her late thirties, with the first symptoms coming immediately after a day of accountancy examinations, which led to her becoming a qualified accountant.
In golf, Nicky found not only a sport to which she could channel her competitive juices, but also a game that gives her social interaction. I found our conversation fascinating as Nicky...2020-10-2027 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe James Gribble StoryMy guest this week is James Gribble from Australia. James and I first met face to face in London, at Marble Arch to be exact, where we had our first chat over a coffee. That meeting led on to a couple more get togethers, by internet and in person. James told me the story of how he had visited Africa as a strong and fit young man and left as a quadriplegic.
It all changed for James in a split second, but I guess that is the way almost all accidents happen. One minute he was sat...2020-10-071h 06Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Ellie Perks StoryEllie Perks, one of EDGA’s growing group of Generation Z golfers, defies many of the character traits commonly associated with those born between 1995 and 2009.
Ellie spends hours upon hours helping others to find a game that has all too often been associated with much older participants and has been played for more than 300 years.
I caught up with Ellie just before she was due to help out at a Saturday morning coaching session.2020-09-2336 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tony Lloyd StoryThere comes a time when everyone can look at their life with some distance and see how it has turned out so far. For some, it's when a significant birthday is on the horizon, when context and objectivity can be separated from emotion and attachment.
Tony Lloyd from Shropshire shared a substantial amount of his time to chaperone me through his story of a genetic twist of fate which resulted in him being born with Phocomelia, his stance on opportunity, how golf came into his life and his view of the future.
Listen to the...2020-09-0934 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Gail Owen StoryWith two generations of golfers already in the family, it would be natural for young Gail Owen to pick up a club and join them on the Hampstead Golf Course on the north side of London. Right?
Well, let's not jump to conclusions. Gail did pick up a club, but with no real intent, and it was only when a friend bought her some golf lessons for her birthday that she started to play.
Fast forward just a year and Gail finds herself in a doctors office and on the receiving end of the words, "...2020-08-2529 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tom Beard StoryAt first glance it is easy to look at Tom Beard and wonder why he is playing in an event for golfers with a disability. He is one of the estimated 74% of people who has an unseen disability.
Look closer and you will see that Tom walks with a limp, but his demeanour is that of a young athletic twenty something with a quick smile and a good golf game. I caught up with Tom and learned a great deal about club feet, the new treatments that have changed the landscape for those with the condition and...2020-08-1239 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Carol Brill StoryIn this far-reaching conversation, Carol explains how she would often find her Mum crying at the kitchen sink and how her Dad had been a wonderful educator to her throughout her life. The words of her father, "You never focus on the problem - you always focus on the solution," are never far away from her consciousness and are aptly followed by, "If there is no solution, then find it."
Listen to the story of Carol Brill.2020-07-2839 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Jennifer Sräga StoryI first met Jennifer Sräga when she was still only fifteen or sixteen years of age. She was playing in the European Team Championship for Germany at the iconic Quinta do Lago in the Algarve region of Portugal.
I caught up with her on the 17th hole and watched her play the strategically demanding par five-hole. I cannot remember what she scored on the hole, but as the players stood on the 18th tee, the conversation turned to it being "World handstand day" Before we knew it Jennie had her feet in the air in full h...2020-07-1410 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Gregorio Guglielminetti StoryChartered Accountant, Gregorio Guglielminetti, the fun-loving Italian from Turin, gives thanks to his Family for the life he lives today.
"When I was a child, my family never treated me as a disabled person, they never wanted support teachers. I congratulate them because it helped me to integrate into society, and because of their decisions, I never felt disabled."
Listen to the story of Gregorio Guglielminetti as told by Tony Bennett.2020-07-0107 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Cristiano Berlanda StorySometimes the most iconic line can be delivered from a simple, heartfelt truth. When Cristiano Berlanda breathed the words, "Golf is a beautiful medicine for the spirit," they emerged from the depths of his soul, igniting my curiosity to learn more about this fascinating man from Bergamo, in the Lombardy region of Italy.
The story of Cristiano starts in an Italian orphanage, sees him bring enjoyment to thousands of revellers and reveals the importance of family.2020-06-1709 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Reinard Schuhknecht StoryThe first person who tended to Reinard after the accident found him without a heartbeat and not breathing. The ambulance crew made their diagnosis and told his family that their son would have damage to his heart and lungs, together with kidney failure.
That was half a lifetime ago for the 28-year-old, affectionately nicknamed Rhino, who says, "It could have been much worse".
These Profiles are now in the third year and are supported by PING.2020-06-0234 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Kenny Bontz StoryThe words "I need my life back" came deep from within the soul of Kenny Bontz. The flamboyant American, who hails from New Jersey, is chiselled from a different kind of rock.
Get past the mohawk, beyond the confident walk and cut through the hard man exterior, and you will find a man who has experienced the pressure of disease, felt the heat of addiction, and who has emerged on the other side, shining like a precious diamond.
Today Kenny finds life fulfilling as he works through the process of becoming the best version of...2020-05-1940 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe three careers and two lives of Tony JohnstoneTony Johnstone shone as a player on the European Tour in the 1980s right through to the early 2000s, winning six Tour events as one of the most skillful players in the game. The Zimbabwean was noted for his excellent short game and topped the European Tour’s short game statistics in 1998, 1999 and 2000. His most notable victory was in the 1992 British PGA Championship at Wentworth after a stunning final round 65.
At the age of 49, Tony’s life took a turn when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. With a revolutionary drug treatment, his MS went into remission and...2020-05-1328 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tony Poole Story"It probably is as bad as you think it is, but you're awake." These are the words of advice from Tony Poole when asked what he would say to someone who had just survived a stroke.
Tony shoots from the hip, and takes no prisoners with his straight-talking, as one might expect from an ex-pat Kiwi living in the state of Texas, USA.
These Profiles are now in the third year and are supported by PING.2020-05-061h 14Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Luisa Ceola StoryWhen words are organised to fit the ‘rule of three, it is said that they become easier to remember. The trinity of words that have formed a pattern of life for Luisa Ceola can be summarised as being, invisible, determined and resilient.
Luisa was born in Padova, just as the seventies, a decade full of social and technological change, was on the horizon. As crucial as these breakthroughs were, even then the medical profession could not figure out what was happening to Luisa.
The story of Luisa Ceola takes twists and turns, before finally...2020-04-2109 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGA20 years of EDGA through the eyes of Helena Brobeck & Pieter van DuijnLook behind the vast majority of successful organisations, and we can find a story of determination, struggle, conflict, doubt, tough decisions and of course, the people who took the first steps. Every organisation starts small. Typically, successful ones have a clear mission. Perhaps the purpose is to solve a problem that has been unearthed. Perhaps it is to exploit a gap in the market. Perhaps it is because the founders have identified a need, a need that has moved them to make a difference.
It is always the people that are the most important. People who care...2020-04-081h 22Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Pedro Sottomayor StoryDepending on when you read Pedro’s story, take a few minutes to either remember what you were doing when you were 28 years of age, or if you have not yet reached that milestone, imagine what you would like to be doing as you approach your thirties.
At 28 years of age Pedro Sottomayor had his life turned upside down one afternoon in a Doctors surgery when he received a diagnosis that would change his life.
Please enjoy my conversation with Pedro Sottomayor.2020-03-2534 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Deborah Smith StoryAnyone who plays golf soon realises that occasionally we get a bad bounce, or once in a while, the ball will end up in a bad lie, even after a good shot. Likewise, life doesn't always give us exactly what we deserve. So we can either stop, or we can move on, with an attitude that views the situation as an opportunity to learn. Call it perseverance, call it resilience, call it tenacity, call it whatever you like, but Deborah Smith has it in bucket loads and boy has she needed it.
Please enjoy my conversation with...2020-03-1154 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAYOUR QUESTIONS: What difference do the PING profiles make?The normal EDGA Profiles piece is not available this week. Life got in the way and although the scheduled interview is complete and is an incredible story, the player took ill and so we have decided to postpone its publication. All of the listeners will I am sure join EDGA in wishing the player a full and speedy recovery.
So this is an opportunity to answer one of the many questions that we get, and perhaps to give a little insight into why we do the PING Profiles and what difference does it make.2020-02-2608 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Chris Young StoryChris and I first met when he made the trip from his home in Australia to the Algarve Open at the end of 2019. Immediately we hit it off and just a few weeks later we met again, but this time just a few miles away from his home in Sydney. Our initial conversation started with the devastating fires in New South Wales, included some banter about cricket, and then revealed an incredible life journey which tested Chris and his family to the full, before making a turn that has resulted in him being happier than he was before his...2020-02-111h 00Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Dennis Duchi StoryI had first met Dennis in Richmond - Virginia in May 2019, when he was competing in a US Disabled Golf Association tournament. I had spotted Dennis in the practice day and there was something about him that made me curious. Here was this man laughing and joking with anyone who happened to be nearby, having, what looked to be, the time of his life, and enjoying the camaraderie of other players, some of which I found out later, he had just met.
Dennis has an infectious, can do attitude, and is grateful for, as he puts it...2020-01-2858 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Gianna Rojas StoryGianna Rojas is a force of nature. A relative late comer to the game of golf, she has turned into one of the games fiercest advocates for its ability to bring people together, in an inclusive manner, that benefits everyone who cares to pick up a club.
Gianna hails from Maine, and so is called a Maniac in the nicest sense of the word, and she is determined to spread the word that golf is for all, that everyone is differently-abled, and that having a disability does not define the person.2020-01-1451 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Josh Jones StoryIt took a while for Wales born Josh Jones to finally move from Bangor to Brisbane, but by 18 years of age he was in a place that he could justly call home, a city where he would make his life, far from the place of his birth.
Life would change for Josh, who had become an apprentice diesel fitter. He was in the final stage of completing his training in the mines and was working the night shift. In the early hours of the morning, he along with one of his friends Steven were given the task o...2020-01-0327 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Chris Biggins storyChris Biggins from the United States, is a qualified PGA of America Professional, and the head coach of the junior programme at his club. Chris has some Bee Hags (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), and is aiming to compete in the Paralympics at both Ski and Golf.
Please enjoy my conversation with Chris Biggins.2019-12-2043 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Christian Hamilton StoryMy conversation with Christian Hamilton took place in November 2018 at the groundbreaking AAAC, which was included at the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney. Our discussion was held in the media centre, and so apologies for the background noise.
Christian was generous with his time, and our chat revealed a man who is happy to be around others, a family man who is most content with his wife Melissa, daughter Grace and son Laughlin.
Please enjoy my conversation with Christian Hamilton.2019-11-2918 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Tineke Loogman StoryMy conversation with Tineke Loogman took place towards the end of August 2019, and although I had known her for the best part of six years, I cannot say that I really knew her. Her reputation, was that of being fiesty, direct and determined. During our connversation over Skype there were times when she was all three, but at the same time she came across as being passionate about golf for the disabled, grateful for the people around her and contenet that her golf business is growing.
Please enjoy the story of Tineke Loogman.2019-11-2609 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Mike Browne StoryMy conversation with former Royal Artillery Gunner Mike Browne, took place just a week or so before the first of three events, that would propel him into the golfing worlds consciousness.
Mike has torn up the generally accepted notion that it takes time to become a professional golfer. Mike achieved that milestone in a little over two years. Oh, and incidentally, he made the grade, even though he uses a prosthetic leg, to replace the one he lost, when complications set after breaking his leg.
In this conversation Mike took me on a journey, starting...2019-11-0111 minTough Love and Second Chances - EDGAThe Andreas Brandenberger StoryAndreas Brandenberger and I had never met before, but it took just a few seconds for me to understand that Andreas has some special sauce.
Andreas was open and engaging, explained the value of being raised in a large family of three brothers and three sisters, how he enjoyed being part of a community and how he found a way to step out of the shadows. Andreas made me think, and he is living testament to the power of gratitude for what life has to offer.
Please enjoy the story of Andreas Brandenberger. For the...2019-10-1811 min