Frost says that a “secret family of guides” helped him get to the World Championships
When Kevin Frost tries to sink a shot, he doesn’t wait for the moment when the golf ball goes over the edge of the hole and plunks into the cup.
Instead, he’s listening for the “yesss!” of the person standing next to him, whose words and actions have helped guide the ball to its destination.
Frost might even do a happy dance if that person is his longtime guide and friend Nigel Bruce.
“Nigel is dancing, and I’m thinking, “I guess it worked?” That’s how blind golf kind of works, “Frost, a former world champion speed skater who started playing golf seven years ago and will represent Canada at the International Blind Golf Association World Championships in South Africa, jokes.
The “secret family” of blind golf
Frost has a rare genetic disease called Usher Syndrome, which makes him lose both his sight and his hearing. Frost’s hearing went down to about 10% when he was 11, and by the time he was 30, he could barely see at all.
Frost plays golf with a sighted guide who helps him do everything from drive the cart to choose the right club for the weather to make sure he tees off in the right direction.
He calls the guides the “secret family” of blind golf.
“I can only see one thing: the ball on the tee. So I would set up and ask my guy what the problems were, and then I would hit the ball “Frost told us.
He asks for a report after he swings.
“The first thing I do is look back and ask Nigel, ‘How did I do?'”
Frost can talk on the course as long as it’s not too loud. He does this with the help of his hearing aids and by reading lips.
Frost says that his vision is like looking through a drinking straw, which makes it harder for him and can also throw off his balance. Dealing with the big difference between the sun and the shade can also be hard.
Guides and dog
Frost currently plays golf with the help of three guides: John McCarney, his fiancée Loretta Lachance, and Bruce, who Frost met three years ago when he and McCarney were paired for a round at Pine View Golf Course.
Bruce says that it took him three holes to figure out that Frost was blind. Now, Bruce helps him find his way around the course and set up his swing.
“I just help him a little bit, just make sure he’s aligned. Just make sure he’s going down the middle of the fairway, “Bruce said.
“He has a perfect grip, a perfect stance, and a perfect swing. So, he does it by himself.”
Frost usually has a guide dog with him as well as the person who helps him. It used to be a golden retriever named Lewis, but that just changed. Since Lewis died in January, Frost is now on a waiting list for a new dog friend.
Just the latest spor
Frost has won three world titles in blind speed skating. He says that his experience in other sports helped him learn golf quickly.
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A blind man from the Ottawa area has set 4 speed-skating records.
During the 25 years he skated, he set nine records and won 80 medals, sometimes against skaters who could see. He is also great at tandem cycling, blind rowing, and blind track running.
Frost has been playing golf for seven years. This month, he will be representing Canada at the World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
He will be the only Canadian B2 player there, which means he can only see less than five degrees around him.
Frost does advocacy and humanitarian work when he’s not training. For example, he raises money for hearing aids for children in Mexico. He has also been named a community builder by the United Way.
Frost just put out his first book, which is calledDeaf Blind Champion. He is also involved with Ontario Blind Golf, where he encourages people to get out of the house and try a new sport.
“In the end, I have to figure out how to change. In life, you have to change to do whatever you want.”