Inspiring Shots
Inspiring Shots
By Gabrielle Roth, NEHA Development Manager
Posted: December 27, 2022. Originally printed in NEHA’s Fall 2022 Newsletter.
For the past two years, NEHA partnered with The Wingmen Foundation to host a four-part golf clinic for adult community members of all skill levels. This program was provided at no cost for adults with bleeding disorders or for parents of kids with bleeding disorders. The program tied in the fundamentals and discipline of golf with the daily life of living with a chronic condition. This was a great opportunity for individuals to share with each other about golf and their life experiences with a chronic condition. Pro-golfer Perry Parker, who has hemophilia, attended a session to inspire the group and work with them on techniques on the golf course, and then he shared his experience on and off the course living with hemophilia.
The Wingmen Foundation is an organization that strives to empower the bleeding disorder community by offering a range of programs, including fitness, activities, education, and more. The Inspiring Shorts program was designed to encourage group education and engagement while promoting an active lifestyle. Golf is perfect for individuals looking for a low-impact and non- contact sport that will put minimal stress on their joints. Over the course of two months, eight individuals from our community participated in the program. The clinics introduced beginner fundamental steps to golf as well as fundamentals for the intermediate and advanced golfer to improve their game. It also tied in the fundamentals and discipline of golf with the daily life of living with a chronic disease.
At the end of each session, participants from around the country are selected to travel to Phoenix, Arizona to compete against other chapters in the bleeding disorders community.
In October 2022, Kate and Jordan Bazinsky represented NEHA in the competition and tied for first-place—winning a $2,500 donation to NEHA in their honor!
“We decided to register for Inspiring Shots because we wanted to learn a new sport that we could do together as a family that would be healthy for our son, Colin, who has hemophilia. We both had little to no prior golf experience and we absolutely loved the program. This program gave us the skills and the confidence to go out and play together on a real course.
It was so much fun to learn something new and have a new activity to do with Jordan and the kids. We even participated in NEHA’s Annual Golf Tournament and did not come in last place! We have continued to practice and are excited about becoming a family that golfs together!
We have since taken our kids out a few times and I am thrilled that Colin has decided that golf is now his favorite sport—although I think that he really just loves riding in the cart! We are so grateful to NEHA, Perry Parker, CSL Behring and the Wingmen Foundation for making this program possible!”
– Kate and Jordan Bazinsky, Newton, Massachusetts
If you are interested in participating in the program next Fall, please contact Gabrielle Roth, NEHA’s Development Manager, at [email protected].