Kevin Erickson poses with his mother (left), Karen Dudley, and grandmother, Rita Houston, who not only introduced Erickson to golf, but to Special Olympics.
During the second round of the 2003 Special Olympics National Invitational Tournament, Erickson, who had shot an opening round 84 and was leading by six shots, hit a hole in one. “I hit a three quarter pitching wedge, it took one bounce and spun in the hole,” he said.
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A laundry basket, some golf balls, and a golf club. That was what Rita Houston would give her grandson, Kevin Erickson, on days when she was watching him at her house in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Little did she know that her way of keeping him occupied would lead to Special Olympics golf records.
At the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games, Special Olympics Wisconsin athlete Kevin Erickson broke a record in 18-hole golf at Washington Duke Golf Course in Durham, North Carolina, USA. On a course where par is 72, Erickson scored a 78. He won a silver medal.
In 2003, at the U.S. Golf National Invitational in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Erickson added to his list of accomplishments by shooting a 76 (including a hole in one!) and a 79 en route to winning the tournament.
< Read details of the tournament and Erickson's performance, written by tournament volunteer Matthew Levy >
His grandmother was there every step of the way. "Kevin never took a golf lesson," admits Houston. "But I did take him to a golf pro to see if he would correct Kevin's baseball-like grip. One-half hour and $30 later, the pro said he had beautiful rhythm."
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Erickson's form was featured on the cover of Spirit magazine, a quarterly publication by Special Olympics athletes, families, volunteers, donors and friends of the movement, who can suscribe for free. |
But if golf comes easily, other things in Erickson's life have not. In 1983, he was born with a brain tumor. When he was four months old, one-third of his brain was removed the portion that affects speech and motor skills. For years, his grandmother worked with Erickson on his speech, using word cards.
Rita Houston not only introduced Erickson to golf but to Special Olympics. When Erickson was in the seventh grade, she heard about a Special Olympics competition at the local golf course and suggested that he participate. That day, Erickson's score was 82. Erickson also competes in basketball, bowling and volleyball.
"We always thought sports would be a great equalizer for Kevin," said Holly Dudley, Erickson's mother. "We found Special Olympics to be a place where Kevin could just belong without being judged."
In high school, Erickson made the golf team after trying out against 60 other regular education students vying for 16 spots on the team.
Erickson spent most of the summer prior to the 1999 Games as the youngest team member in the foursome of his great-uncle and two of his uncle's friends. All that practice clearly paid off — Rita Houston was astounded at how beautifully her grandson played. She spent each day on the golf course, watching his every swing. It was hard to keep away while he was competing, she admits, and fought back the urge to help with techniques such as his short game (chipping and putting). "I'm just starting to work with Kevin on the fine tuning," she explains. "He doesn't want to listen to anyone but me."
But he soon faced yet another hurdle, when at 18, he was diagnosed with cancer of the sinuses. With his treatments, he could only practice and play once every three weeks. But he loved golf so much that, even in his weakened condition, he would be on the course 24 hours after his treatments. Golf helped Erickson redevelop the muscular coordination and strength he lost during treatment. It also kept him active, mentally and physically. Erickson now works at Mystery Hills Golf Course in DePere, Wisconsin. They have given him a membership where Erickson says that he practices often and he "plays four or five times a week."
Both Erickson and his mother have become dedicated to Special Olympics. Holly Dudley is a manager in the local Special Olympics office in Green Bay, while Erickson continues to work on his golf game.
"Kevin has totally reformulated my life," said Dudley. "The whole experience has refocused me on what is important — spending time with my family, volunteering for Special Olympics and just being a mom." |
