Last week when I was at the driving range I noticed a number of young disable people working on their games. I was very impressed by a young lady who, despite the fact that she was sitting in a wheel chair, was able to drive the ball straight for around 120 to 150 yards. It was a real joy to watch her play. Every time she hit a good shot her face lit up in a radiant smile of pure pleasure.
Watching these young people having such a good time got me thinking.
A good friend of mine is a disabled golfer. He lost a leg in a land mine incident when he was serving in the army as a young man. Bob has never allowed his disability to stand in the way of making himself into a very competitive golfer. In fact this year he has been elected captain of our golf club.
So last Saturday I cornered Bob and asked him to tell me more about disabled golf. Now Bob is a real enthusiast, so I got myself cornered for a good half an hour, but it was worth it, because he told me about this amazing golf wheel chair for paraplegic disabled golfers. Take a closer look at the photo on my web site.
This golf wheel chair is the brain child of Anthony Netto a South African born golf professional and trainer. Anthony suffered a neck fracture after a no-fault car accident, in 1995. This led to him being wheelchair bound for months. After numerous operations and a lot of time in hospital the 37-year old was able to resume work as a teaching pro in 1997. However, in October 2000, he suffered a further setback when multiple sclerosis struck him down. Since that time he has been confined to a wheelchair.
Netto is a fighter; he told himself, "One does not die from this disease.