“Live each day as though it’s your last”. That’s the philosophy of golfing amputee Trevor Reich. As a disabled person one has a choice. One can wallow in self-pity or confront life’s challenges head-on. Since losing his left leg in a boating accident on Boxing Day 1998, Reich has chosen the latter with astounding grit and determination.
While on his annual family holiday to Clanwilliam, a day that began innocently with a game of squash and the suggestion of a pre-lunch water-ski quickly became THE day that changed Reich’s life; forever.
“I was in the water putting on my skis. It was quite windy. Our boat turned around − in nautical rules you’re supposed to travel anti-clockwise in a dam. Instead of facing down the dam, I had my back to it and the pilot was looking towards the dam wall. I looked over my shoulder and there wasn’t a boat to be seen for miles”, Reich recalls.
“I must’ve been in the water for three or four minutes. The observer didn’t say that there was a boat coming towards us or that it was travelling on the wrong side. I looked over my shoulder and the hull was practically on top of my head!
“I tried to take evasive action. The propeller collected my foot, going through it four times! The boat hit me and I was plunged underwater. Thank God I had a lifejacket on otherwise I wouldn’t be here to tell the story.
The sea of blood which Reich saw before him sent him into a state of shock. Unable to move, the people who hit him came to his aide. After being rushed to the local hospital only to be told the doctors couldn’t help him, Reich was airlifted to Milnerton Mediclinic. He then received the news that everybody dreads in such a situation − there was no alternative but to amputate his foot.
By his own admission, Reich didn’t understand the magnitude of the situation and sought multiple opinions in a bid to save his foot. Four “sorry… but”s later and his foot was amputated. The problem, however was that four days had passed and his foot had become gangrenous. There was no alternative but to amputate 23cm below the knee too.
Remarkably, after three weeks spent in hospital followed by a rigorous, and often frustrating rehab regime, Trevor teed it up at Milnerton Golf Club just six months after the accident. Despite shooting “plenty” in that first round back, he adapted to his new reality surprisingly quickly.
“Three weeks later there was a club competition and they made me a compassionate 15 handicap. They weren’t so compassionate afterwards because I think I shot either 8 or 9-over and I scored 45 points”, Reich says with pride.
An example of foreshadowing if ever there was one. Trevor’s game went from strength to strength after that and his handicap hovered between four and six for ten years. Losing his leg has been a blessing in disguise as it has enabled him to pit his skills against the world’s best disabled golfers.
Being the fierce competitor that he is, Trevor had no intention of making up the numbers either. He has notched six second-place finishes in international events with a particularly narrow miss at the Swedish Open.
“If I was an able-bodied 11-handicapper I wouldn’t be able to compete at any level. But as a disabled golfer I can compete internationally. I had a second in the Sweden Open. I should’ve won the tournament but I had a five-putt on the last day to lose by two”, he says.
Reich has also competed in three US Opens. On each occasion, he has finished among the top-16 International players in the field. Consequently, he has represented the International team in the Robinson Cup − disabled golf’s Ryder Cup equivalent.
“It’s the most incredible day’s golf. The 16 best Americans and Internationals are selected to play foursomes and singles against each other. In three appearances, I am 3-0 in singles and 2-1 in foursomes.”
With a record like that, it’s easy to see why he loves the competition so much! But it is the forging of lifelong friendships which he’s most grateful for.
“I’ve got a lot of friends all over the world that I would never have made if I hadn’t lost my leg. Being an amputee has enhanced my life.”
One such friend is a German, Reinhart Friske, who Trevor has known since they played all three rounds together at the 2003 British Open. Later this year, the pair will travel together to the German, Canadian and US Opens which Reich is extremely excited about. And who would bet against the 55-year-old qualifying for a fourth Robinson Cup?
Trevor Reich − an example and inspiration to us all!
Photo: Craig Stirton
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