Someone told me about a five-year-old boy in America who lost an eye to retinoblastoma when he was two years old, but who was a fantastic golfer.
I decided I wanted to find out more about him, so logged on to Google. I typed in “one-eyed golfer” and clicked “search”. I was amazed at the number of sites that came up. I hadn’t thought there would be so many websites that were devoted to having one eye. There was even a one-eyed golf association.
I found a news story about Kyle, the five-year-old golfer. You can read it here
Kyle’s passion for golf is a mystery, as is his determination to be the best golfer ever. His parents are just glad he is free of cancer, and that is their main wish.
Kyle’s father says they’ve had some dramas with his artificial eye. Once, Kyle hid it in the cereal packet and his sister ate it!
What this demonstrates to me is how amazing the internet is and how obscure groups such as one eyed golfers can have a presence by drawing in resources from around the world to form a community. This search also shows that having one eye isn’t obscure at all these days, as proven by the number of search results I discovered.
One Response
Paul I think your post is a fantastic example of what a great community building tool the internet can be. After any set back in life people can feel isolated. A site such as the one you describe gives further evidence that eye loss does not have to destroy your life or your lifestyle. I think it is particularly important for sports folk to realise that it ain’t over! Keep up the good work.