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(Posted
8 a.m., Aug. 29)
Orléans
deaf-blind athlete leaves his mark on the links
By Mike Beasley
The Orleans Star
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 Orléans
deaf-blind super athlete Kevin Frost lines
up a tee shot as his nonplussed service dog,
Lewis, looks on. PHOTO SUPPLIED
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If
you thought the weather this summer around Ottawa was
hot, it doesn't come close to Kevin Frost's golf game
which was downright sizzling.
The
deaf-blind athlete from Orléans spent much of his summer
on the links practicing for and playing in tournaments
set up by Blind Golf Canada.
In
mid-July, Frost travelled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to participate
in the 2018 Western Canada Championships.
For
three straight days, Frost went stroke for stroke against
a field of skilled golfers under the blazing sun which
made the playing conditions a challenge in it-self.
"Golfing
in the heat during that week was tough to deal with but
I managed it well and persevered,� admitted Frost. "Every
day the temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius which
drains you. In the end, I played well, had a good result
(3rd place) and was satisfied with my play.�
The
event attracted different kinds of blind golfers, both
young and old from various parts of North America.
Frost
enjoyed the interaction between the golfers as they shared
stories about their visual limitations.
"It's
amazing what some of the golfers work through being visually
impaired,� Frost explained. "The common thread with everybody
is a positive outlook and passion for staying active through
sport.�
In
early August, Frost and Lewis, his service dog made their
way to the southern part of Ontario for the 2018 Ontario
Provincial Championship which was held at Hamilton's Chippewa
golf course.
Frost
came away from the three-day tourney in top spot with
the lowest overall net score, which put Frost on Cloud
9.
"My
score in Hamilton was the direct result of understanding
that any golfer, sighted or with limited vision will never
beat the game of golf,� says Frost. "I'm finally starting
to find the right balance of controlling my emotions and
staying calm. I'm learning not to carry mistakes over
to my next holes. Being relaxed is a key to simplifying
my game.�
A
trip to Truro, Nova Scotia and the Canadian Open in mid-August
was next on Frost's tour of golf links this summer.
He
came away with a second place finish at the Mountain Golf
Club in a field of golfers that had 15-25 years of impaired
golfing experience in their pockets.
Frost
is a relative newbie competing in just his third year
on the Blind Golf Canada event calendar.
"I
was really excited when I ended up second because a lot
of those players are excellent and have been playing golf
longer than me,� admitted Kevin. "A high profile tournament
like that enables you to see exactly where you are skill
wise and how you rank against the best golfers in my category.�
Frost
will continue to play golf this season until the weather
turns.
During
the cold and snowy months, he will still have a keen eye
on preparation for a solid 2019 season and a chance to
land a spot on Canada's National Blind Golf team which
will compete in the 2020 World Championships.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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THE OTTAWA SCHOOL OF THEATRE presents an all ages production of Treasure Island in the Richcraft Theatre at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Showtimes Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets $20 for adults. Students and youth 25 and under $10. To purchase visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents Michael Ben-Shalom live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents The Underground live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
CLASSIC PIANO RECITAL – Orléans pianist Emily Hou will be performing works by Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Liszt at Kanata United Church as part os the Beaverbrook Community Concert Series. The recital will start promptly at 3 p.m. Kanata United Church is located at 33 Leacock Dr. in Kanata. For more information visit 
THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. Trivia Night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call (613) 834-9005 to reserve your spot. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near the Innes Road McDonalds.
