Blog: “Golf makes me feel alive”

Hi, my name is Aimi, I’m 45 years old, I live in Surrey and I have Multiple Sclerosis.

I’m quite an active person, I work out in my makeshift home gym, do yoga and play golf – I have a handicap of 10.

I was always a hockey player but retired at 36 when I had my first MS episode - optic neuritis, which meant I temporarily lost the sight in my left eye. My sight recovered over 12 months but when my body temperature rose, my sight would deteriorate again for a few hours. At this point I decided a sport which required running around was too dangerous for me.

I had dabbled in golf in the past and decided this could be the sport for me, so I took it up more seriously and joined a club, achieved a handicap and started to play socially and in competitions.

I am part of the Woking Golf Club, which competes in the Surrey Golf County Competition.  Golf can be a very individual sport, so it is nice to be in a team environment and represent my club. I take part in competitions at the Sunningdale Health Golf Club too.

I also play in the European Disabled Golf Association competitions. As this is all self-funded I try to manage two or three oversees events a year. This year I competed in the Individual Championships and finished fourth in the Ladies’ Competition. I also played in the Czech Disabled Golf Masters. Being a part of these competitions has given me the opportunity to make friends across Europe. I love meeting up and playing competitive golf and socialising at the same time. It is like one big extended family.

I really enjoy being active, I get a real buzz being outside – it makes me feel alive. For me, there is something nice about feeling tired from being active, rather than being tired because I have MS.

Exercising carefully helps me manage my MS symptoms. Instead of pushing myself on the aerobic equipment at the gym, I work out at home doing some light weights, balance exercises, core strength work and yoga. For me, there is a clear link between physical fitness and my mental health. Even a small amount of activity gives me a buzz.

Taking up golf has also benefited me neurologically. When I first had an MS episode of brain fog, which means conversation, short-term memory, and the ability to concentrate and focus can be effected, my neurologist was very encouraging of my golfing activities. Playing golf meant I firstly had to navigate myself to the course, decide which club to use, communicate with people and keep count of mine and my partner’s score – all very good brain activities.

The home gym workout I do is all aimed towards keeping me physically fit to play golf but also very important for my day to day life. Some days I don’t walk as well as I did, and my balance is not as good but I think if I can keep up my overall strength that can only be a good thing longer term.  

When I’m exercising or playing golf I am very competitive with myself, so I love it when I beat my time for something or play an amazing round of golf. Tiredness is a big thing for me after golf, so I have to manage the following day’s activities to ensure I give my body a chance to recover.

The support of my partner, Kirstie, family and friends has been huge. They allow me to be me. Both my partner and best friend really look after me at major competitions, so I can just focus on playing golf.

I have always played lots of sports with my best friend, Kirsty Sandwell. Two years ago, having never played golf, she joined me at my first European Disabled Golf Association competition. It was life changing for both of us and she now takes the role of my caddy very seriously. She has even taken up golf herself, so we have a sport to play together. 

The rest of the year sees me playing a lot of golf over the summer at Woking Golf Club. I’ll be taking part in several big competitions and will also be playing in a couple of charity fundraising golf days.

In August I will be playing in the English Disability Open. As I am currently the only female competitor, I am keen to find more disabled female golfers who already play golf.

To advocate this I became a volunteer for the European Disabled Golf Association Development team. They have given me golfing equipment and have trained me to provide coaching. My plan is to run ‘get into golfing’ training sessions over the next few months.

My advice to other disabled people who are thinking about being more active but aren’t sure where to start is – just give it a go! You might need to try a few different activities before you find the exercise or sport that suits you. Just remember it’s about having fun and it’s a fantastic way to make life-long friends.

England Golf is the national governing body for amateur golf. If you’re interested in trying the sport, visit the England Golf website.