Empower Golf founder James Gribble has always wanted to be the first quadriplegic golfer to play at King Island off the Tasmanian north-west coast. Over the last few months, he has been planning with Air Adventure Golf to make this trip a reality.
“It has been our mission to prove that Australia’s most remote courses can be played by all,” he said.
The dates are set for October 3-7 but before it could be locked in it was necessary to fit the 200kg Paragolfer onto the charter plane. This all-terrain electric wheelchair raises the gofer into a standing position.
Disability will be no barrier to three golfers experiencing Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes, Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm golf courses.
Joining Gribble, who became a quadriplegic after breaking his neck from a fall while on a fishing trip in Africa, is Ben Tullipan and Jigs Denby. Queenslander Tullipan lost both legs and suffered third-degree burns in the Bali Bombings and is now a world-ranked disability golfer. Tasmanian Jigs Denby had severe head trauma after being attacked by a stranger and is paralysed in his left arm.
These three men are an example that life is ’10 per cent of what happens to you and 90 per cent of what you make of it’.
Empower Gold is the only NDIS registered golf service provider in Australia.
Caption: Cape Wickham