As it is often said, disability is not inability and many a time this has been proven when those who are differently abled are able to excel in spaces where the abled are the majority. This fact was on display during the 11th leg of the Safaricom Golf Tour which was held at the Nakuru Golf Club.
This is because for the first time, since the tournament started, we had 5 deaf junior golfers from the Ngala School For The Deaf playing. What was amazing about these kids playing was not only the fact that they had a hearing impairment but that they had only started playing for the first time ever about six days to the tournament and still managed to excel.
One of these players was Jecinta Njeri who despite being very new to golf still managed to become the best girl in her category.
We had a chat with her on her experience playing golf and this is what she had to say;
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Jecinta Njeri and I am 15 years old. I study at the Ngala School for The Deaf here in Nakuru.
When did you start playing golf?
I only started playing golf about 6 days prior to the tournament, this after we got an invitation from Mrs. Nancy Steinman the Junior Golf Foundation regional representative to come and train in preparation for the big day.
What motivated you to start playing golf?
I generally love sports and in school I usually play volleyball, athletics, netball as well as dancing. So, when I heard that there was an opportunity to learn how to play golf, I was excited to come and try it out. That’s essentially how I started playing.
How was your experience while playing in the tournament?
I really loved playing in the tournament, but I had some challenges since I was not able to communicate with the other players. The weather also proved to be quite a challenge because it was very cold in the morning, thereafter it started raining which had an effect on how I was playing.
What have you learned from playing golf?
I have learned that one needs to focus while playing otherwise you will miss the shots. You also need to be respectful towards other players as well as being honest at all times.
How did it feel to be a winner after playing the golf for the first time?
I was very excited when I was declared as the winner in my category considering that I was very new to the sport. In the future I am hoping that I can be able to play golf professionally and earn a living from it.
What can you tell other differently abled children who are interested in playing golf?
I would encourage them to start playing this sport because it is very enjoyable, and one can be able to learn a lot. It also enables one to interact with people from different backgrounds
What do you think is the impact of the Safaricom Golf Tour?
I would say that the Safaricom Golf Tour is having a big impact on making the sport accessible to many kids from different backgrounds like myself who would otherwise not have been able to play. I hope that this tournament comes back to Nakuru next year so that I can be able to participate.