paragolf scotland feature in daily record 110416
TRANSCRIPT
GADGET GETS DISABLED PLAYERS ON COURSEpara-golf
BACK IN THE GAME Peter and Ryan with Charlie and Emma WIlson from golf academy
MORE AT DAIlyRECORD.CO.UKPAGE 16 DAIly RECORD Monday, April 11, 2016
ryan
clubs, I just felt devastated because I missed it.”
For years, he had played golf with his dad and brother and he sorely missed joining them on a course.
Ryan added: “A whole chapter of my life had disappeared.”
The Paragolfer means he can again get back on the course with his family.
He added: “I’ve been out with my brother and dad and son.
“I also took part in a fundraiser with some golfing buddies in a team. I was almost crying the whole way round as it was the first time we’d played a round together in so long. I thought it was never going to happen again.
“It’s had a massive effect. It’s been life-changing for me being able to play golf again.”
I’ll never forget the minute it stood me up to take a shot BEING able to play golf again has transformed Ryan MacDonald’s life.
He had to give up the sport when his mobility deteriorated, leaving him using a wheelchair.
But the Paragolfer changed all that.Ryan said: “Finding it was out of this
world. I’ll never forget the minute it stood me up and I was ready to take a shot and my dad was standing next to me. I would have given 10 years of my life for that minute.”
Ryan was 19 when he became ill and lost the use of his legs after being bitten by a tick.
He was coaching football and tennis in the States when his central nervous system became affected.
Within six months, Ryan had managed to fight back to fitness and he even returned to coaching in America and playing sport.
But his body never completely recovered and his health deteriorated again, leaving him back in a wheelchair nine years ago.
Father of three Ryan, 35, who works in housing and lives in Crookston, Glasgow, took up wheelchair sports including basketball and tennis after his mobility deteriorated.
He persevered with his beloved golf and tried to play using crutches. But he fell over often and had to give up.
Ryan said: “Whenever I saw a manicured piece of grass or a set of
BITE Ryan MacDonald
a chapter of my life had disappeared. It’s been life-changing to play golf again
THE boxing gloves worn by Sir Henry Cooper when he floored Muhammad Ali areexpected to sell for £50,000 at auction.
The British boxing legend sent Ali crashing to the canvas with a left hook in 1963.
Ali was saved by the bell at the end of the round and recovered to defeat Cooper.
The gloves go under the hammer at Graham Budd auctioneers in London on April 25.
£50k hit for Cooper’s Ali KO gloves
BIG WIN Joshua celebrates
Boxing champ home to do chores for mum
flat he still shares with his social worker mum Yeta Odusanya, Joshua will be expected to pull his weight.
He said: “With my mum, I don’t celebrate too much because I want her to still see me as her son. I’ll have to do my chores. I’ll still do that – buying the milk, eggs, anything like that.”
JOSHUA v FURY – PAGES 42&43
NEW world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will be doing chores for his mum rather than polishing his belt when he gets back home today.
Londoner Joshua, 26, demolished American Charles Martin inside two rounds to take the IBF crown at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Despite being on top of the world, when he gets back to the former council
GADGET GETS DISABLED PLAYERS ON COURSE
TEE FOR TWO Ryan and Peter in Paragolfers. Pic: Alasdair MacLeod
GolfERS who were forced to give up the sport because of disability are now able to play again thanks to a revolutionary machine.
Players are elevated from a sitting to a standing position with the Paragolf mobility vehicle.
At the moment, there are only two of the machines available to the public in Scotland.
But on Thursday the charity Social Care Ideas Factory will launch a campaign to raise awareness of the machines and encourage more clubs to get involved.
Anthony Netto, the man behind the Paragolfer and founder of the Stand Up and Play Foundation in America, will attend the launch at Mearns Castle Golf Academy, near Glasgow.
Paragolf Scotland, in partnership with the golf academy, own Scotland’s only two publicly accessible Paragolfers. The £20,000 aids are
Open tO everyOne
Maria CroCe
PagE 17Daily REcORD Monday, April 11, 2016 MORE aT DailyREcORD.cO.UK
peter
two took up golf about a year-and-a-half ago.
CCTV operator Peter, 54, from Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, said there was a silver lining to his accident.
He added: “I was going to work on a pedal bike which I’d bought on the Monday so I could cut out the bus fares to save for a holiday abroad.
“On the Friday, I was passing the bus I would have caught to work and my trousers caught in the chain of the bike.
“The bike came up on one wheel, I turned round and the bus hit me.
“But I met my wife Audrey through the accident. She was visiting her dad in the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. He was in the same ward I was in.
“And I’ve played for Scotland at wheelchair basketball.
“I wouldn’t change my life now.”
home of golf and we didn’t even have that facility.”
The charity helped fund the first machine. They got behind a drive for the second and now hope to encourage the development of golf for wheelchair-bound players.
It is hoped other clubs will be inspired to offer the machines and as more people get involved, Scotland can create its first Para-golf team.● FOR more information, visit socialcareideasfactory.com
about introducing sport back into people’s lives where they had some kind of injury or condition that meant they were now disabled.”
Charlie was contacted by a couple of disabled golfers from America who were coming to Scotland and wanted to know where they could use a Paragolfer.
She said: “We did some research and discovered there weren’t any publicly available.
“Scotland is meant to be the
free to use on the driving range or the nine-hole golf course.
Russell Gray, operations manager at the golf academy, said: “The Paragolfer is like a ride-on buggy that players they can drive towards their ball. The Paragolfer then lifts them into an upright position and allows them to swing and hit the ball as any of us would. It’s phenomenal.”
Charlie B-Gavigan, founder and curator of Social Care Ideas Factory, said: “We had a project a couple of years back that was
Revolutionary machine makes Scotland’s sport
more accessible for wheelchair-bound
golfers
Meeting wife was silver lining to crash PETER Moore became paralysed from the waist down when he broke his back in a cycle accident at the age of 21.
But he’s never let his disabilities hold him back from enjoying playing sport.
And now he’s delighted he can play golf alongside his able-bodied friends, thanks to the Paragolfer.
He said: “Apart from the health benefits of sport,
it’s the social side and the people you meet.
“I’d encourage people to do any kind of sport.”
Peter learned to swim after his accident. He also got involved in wheelchair basketball, playing for Scotland and coaching others.
The father of
WEDDiNg Day Peter met Audrey in Southern General
acTiON MaN Peter plays and coaches wheelchair basketball
i wouldn’t change my life now. i’d encourage people to do any kind of sport