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GOLF: EVERYTHING THAT I WAS MISSING When Mike Browne made the decision to amputated his leg, little did he know that that hard decision would lead him to golfing excellence. TWENTY-TWO limb salvage operations. Two years in an Ilazarov frame with 52 wires running through his leg. Daily one-millimetre adjustments to stretch his shinbone and former Royal Artillery Gunner Mike Browne calmly says, “In hindsight – luckily it didn’t work.” Mike is quick to say that his injury was not actually a result of war, “All I did was break my leg.” Mike got a nasty infection, which consumed all the muscles around his knee and just seven days in May 2013 would prove to be pivotal in Mike’s life. “I sat down with my surgeon and said that I was having trouble living like I was. I basically made the decision there and then; it was an easy decision…right let’s get rid of it. And then seven days later, my leg was amputated. I woke up, and that was the first time I had no pain. It was amazing.” Mike describes two years of constant pain as a living hell, “I’d lost all of my social skills…I’d lost my job, in essence, I’d lost my life really, and so basically I sat down, and I just cried for no reason, for three days.” Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and that is how Mike saw those dark days. “I thought I needed to get some help, and that’s where my journey began. The mental health team and I just worked through it. I did three or four sessions and started to get back on the road to recovery. I started seeing things in a different light, realising that things weren’t that bad. I was actually quite lucky to be where I was.” One of the critical steps Mike had to take was to accept what had happened. disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk
“You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself… it’s a big hurdle to get over, and that’s when you can start to fully rehab. The support of family, friends, and colleagues is invaluable, I don’t think people realise how much you need them when you’re going through a hard time.” Just as his new life began, he found golf, “Golf gave me everything that I was missing and gave me a new family, a purpose. It gave me all my social skills back. It gave me confidence, and it just saved my life really.” Mike found his new sport through the On Course Foundation. Mike recalls, “I hit one shot, and I can still remember it. It only went about 40 yards, but there’s a feeling, when you hit a golf ball. I was hooked in that very moment. I thought I could use this as rehab.”
“MIKE’S PROGRESS TO THE PROFESSIONAL GAME HAS BEEN METEORIC BY ANY STANDARD.”
Mike’s progress to the professional game has been meteoric by any standard. Starting to play in July 2014 and turning professional in September 2016 is not normal, as often it takes years for a player to reach the standard necessary to play professionally. “I just want to be the best I can. If someone is better than me, then fair dues. When I got injured, it made me want it more because I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else in the world, that no matter what happens to you, you can make something of it. A lot of people think their life is over when they get injured, but you know, I remember saying that…that life is over, but I’ve got a new one now, so let’s make the most of it.” To hear and read Mike’s full story visit edgagolf.com, scroll to Profiles, and search Mike Browne.
Author: Tony Bennett Website: edgagolf.com | Twitter: @edgagolf Instagram: @edga_golf | Facebook: @EuropeanDisabledGolfAssociation
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