Golf Academy of America Grad’s Inspirational Story

2009-08-20

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SAN DIEGO, Cali. – Golf Academy of America (GAA) graduate inspires golfers around the world with his story. In February of 1974 Bob Wilson was a lieutenant commander aboard the aircraft super carrier USS Kitty Hawk completing missions in the South China Sea when his great tragedy occurred. On that February day, Bob took is last three steps on his own legs, that day he became a bilateral transtibial amputee through a accident with plan cables.

Today Bob refers to the accident as “probably the best thing that's ever happened to me,” because it has changed him for the better. It was a long, painful, stressful road of recovery and rehab for Bob to eventually reach the point where he could think about golf again but he did. He was inspired by a story about amputee golfer Bick Long, a six-time winner of the NAGA tournament. Wilson said Long’s story motivated him to get back on the green, “I got up and around and in late June, I played my first 9 holes since the accident” Wilson said.  Despite his circumstance he managed a 45, a score that many would envy. Bob states that “Under the circumstances, it was the best nine holes of my life.”

Wilson really took his golfing and golf career to the next level when he enrolled at the San Diego campus of The Golf Academy of America( GAA). He was extremely successful at GGA becoming valedictorian of his graduating class. GAA is not only committed to excellence in education but also in inspiring those who dream to achieve those dreams, and GAA is so proud to have Bob as an alumni.

Wilson has done many incredible things during his gold career but something that stands out is his development of  “First Swing,” a program that trains physical therapists and experts in the prosthetics fields how to help people with physical challenges to learn, or re-learn, how to play golf. Clinics are held at golf centers, rehab facilities, and Veterans Administration hospitals around the nation. Golf provided mental and physical rehabilitation for Bob and today he wants to share that with others.

Wilson is proud of the turn out at the NAGA tournament and is proud to say that just like him “every one of them has a story.”

The Golf Academy of America leads the industry in golf education and features four campuses in major golf markets – Phoenix, Myrtle Beach, Orlando and San Diego. The GAA was founded in 1974 and is today accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation.

For more information on the Golf Academy of America, please call 800.342.7342, or visit www.golfacademy.edu.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the Golf Academy of America is the oldest and largest two-year golf college in the world. GAA’s 16-month program balances classroom studies, practical experience and comprehensive understanding of the business of golf. For more information, call 800.342.7342 or visit www.golfacademy.edu.