Tough Love and Second Chances - EDGA
111 episodes - English - Latest episode: 22 days ago -The tough love and second chances podcast, reveals remarkable stories of those who refuse to be defined by their disability. The power of the human spirit shines through with examples of how hope, courage and the opportunity to express oneself through the game of golf, makes for a combination that can improve, and even save lives. Written and hosted by Ben Evans for EDGA.
Visit www.edgagolf.com/profiles for the full story, photos, and raw interview media.
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Episodes
The Manon Eggermont Story
March 08, 2022 18:23 - 16 minutes - 30.7 MBManon 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 to...
The Ian Jones Story
February 23, 2022 18:30 - 13 minutes - 32 MBTackling difficult equations in the science laboratory, or tackling, crossing the ball and scoring goals, it was always a tough decision for Ian Jones. Ian travelled up to Newcastle University from his home in the south in 1985, with his football boots in his bag, along with school Advanced Level certificates in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. It was hugely exciting to prepare to study Chemical Engineering in this northern English city famous for its love of football. Today, he concedes he s...
The Nael Ogden-Smith story
February 09, 2022 13:36 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBNael Ogden-Smith is something of a key player in the Paralympic movement: one of the reasons he’s an asset to the cause is because he genuinely loves sport and understands its value to people. It can make your day, save your day, and sometimes much more. As a young boy raised in Lebanon, Nael and his friends were always so keen to play together, even as civil war gripped the country; life carried on. This positive outlook shaped him and his family around him. When he was in his early twent...
The Damien Thomlinson Story
January 25, 2022 15:59 - 22 minutes - 42 MBStanding in front of an audience, Damien Thomlinson cuts an impressive figure with a steely gaze. He is built out of battle, and his philosophy is worth listening to. The former soldier served in Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment – Special Forces – and he can tell his audience about how some of the most intense, pressurised military training in the world prepared him and his comrades to survive in deeply hostile enemy environments. Two constant loves today are from quieter areas of life, h...
The Per-Christian Nygren story
January 11, 2022 19:24 - 13 minutes - 30.8 MBPer-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-cha...
The Graeme Mazur story
December 14, 2021 19:52 - 18 minutes - 34 MBThe 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 ...
The Heather and Martine Gilks Story
December 01, 2021 06:22 - 16 minutes - 30 MBFew 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 a...
The EDGA Dubai Finale 2021
November 16, 2021 18:50 - 20 minutes - 47.1 MBThis 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 J...
The Kipp Popert Story
November 02, 2021 06:41 - 16 minutes - 38.7 MBKipp 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 a...
The Miroslav Halmo Story
October 19, 2021 14:01 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBImagine 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 disab...
The Vincent Helly Story
October 05, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBUntil 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 h...
The Tero Tapani Peltola Story
September 21, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MBIn 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 wi...
The Kurtis Barkley Story
September 07, 2021 21:57 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MBFew 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 ...
The Petri Takkunen Story
August 24, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 17.9 MBIt 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...
The Felix Norrman Story
July 27, 2021 21:13 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBFor 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, c...
The Duncan Hamilton-Martin Story
July 13, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBOne 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 w...
The Barry McCluskey Story
June 29, 2021 15:09 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBLosing 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.
The Jigs Denby Story
June 15, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 27.3 MBSometimes 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.
The Gavin Burden Story
June 01, 2021 16:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBAccording 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...
The Mark Smith Story
May 19, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 26.2 MBMark 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 thr...
The Mariano Tubio Story
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBThis 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.
The Andy Stevenson Story
April 20, 2021 16:00 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBThis 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...
The Kirsty Wilkinson Story
April 06, 2021 16:32 - 18 minutes - 25 MBThis 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 gol...
The Tommaso Perrino Story
March 23, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBThis 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.
The Manuel de los Santos Story
March 09, 2021 17:00 - 23 minutes - 54.7 MBThis 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.
The Masato Koyamada Story
February 23, 2021 18:00 - 13 minutes - 19 MBMasato 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...
The Chad Pfeifer Story
February 09, 2021 18:00 - 21 minutes - 29.8 MBIn 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.
The Christian Nachtwey Story
January 26, 2021 19:00 - 24 minutes - 33.2 MBPeople 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 acciden...
The Alessandra Donati Story
January 12, 2021 17:57 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBAlessandra 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 li...
The Kate Pollard Story
December 15, 2020 18:01 - 20 minutes - 16.3 MBMy 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 bigges...
The Julien Mouchet Story
December 01, 2020 19:00 - 14 minutes - 19.4 MBI 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....
The Terry Kirby Story
November 17, 2020 19:00 - 19 minutes - 15.8 MB"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 supported by PING.
The Tony Coates Story
November 03, 2020 18:27 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBTony 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 pe...
The Nicky Weeks Story
October 20, 2020 20:00 - 27 minutes - 38 MBMy 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 ...
The James Gribble Story
October 07, 2020 10:39 - 1 hour - 53 MBMy 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 on a stool an...
The Ellie Perks Story
September 23, 2020 07:52 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBEllie 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.
The Tony Lloyd Story
September 09, 2020 08:00 - 34 minutes - 27.8 MBThere 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...
The Gail Owen Story
August 25, 2020 18:17 - 29 minutes - 23.3 MBWith 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, "Well ...
The Tom Beard Story
August 12, 2020 08:36 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MBAt 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 ...
The Carol Brill Story
July 28, 2020 19:00 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MBIn 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.
The Jennifer Sräga Story
July 14, 2020 16:00 - 10 minutes - 8.58 MBI 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 fee...
The Gregorio Guglielminetti Story
July 01, 2020 06:38 - 7 minutes - 5.65 MBChartered 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.
The Cristiano Berlanda Story
June 17, 2020 09:30 - 9 minutes - 7.64 MBSometimes 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.
The Reinard Schuhknecht Story
June 02, 2020 19:30 - 34 minutes - 28 MBThe 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.
The Kenny Bontz Story
May 19, 2020 10:27 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MBThe 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 proces...
The three careers and two lives of Tony Johnstone
May 13, 2020 07:09 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBTony 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 ...
The Tony Poole Story
May 06, 2020 17:45 - 1 hour - 102 MB"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.
The Luisa Ceola Story
April 21, 2020 18:58 - 9 minutes - 13.7 MBWhen 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 L...
20 years of EDGA through the eyes of Helena Brobeck & Pieter van Duijn
April 08, 2020 10:03 - 1 hour - 114 MBLook 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 differenc...
The Pedro Sottomayor Story
March 25, 2020 14:42 - 34 minutes - 27.8 MBDepending 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.