Gwen Davies

 

 

 

 

AASRA Executive Directo

1992, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 Canadian Amputee Women's Golf Champion

1995 British Open Amputee Women's Golf Champion

2002 World Series of Golf Ladies Champion

 Gwen has been a member of AASRA since 1989, being first a member, and then holding the position of Secretary, then President and now AASRA's Executive Director. 

 Gwen, who is originally from Sydney, Australia, is a right leg BK, having lost her leg at the age of three, due to congenital deformities. However, as further complications arose, Gwen had her leg re-amputated 8 more times and then, as a result of being been born minus a tibia and patella, along with a congenital hip, she has experienced on-going problems with her residual limb. Having spent the first 14 years of her life in and out of hospital, missing approximately 70% of her school time, and having to grow up with a ‘peg’ leg, Gwen understands the necessity of having an organization that can offer emotional and physical support to amputees of all ages. Gwen recently had her leg amputated again (2005), this time loosing her knee - after having been a below-knee amputee for many years. She was back golfing again just 4 months after surgery.

 Since Gwen became a ‘Canadian’, she has worked vigorously for the cause of all amputees in all walks of life in her home Province of Alberta, as well as amputees across Canada. A proposal by Gwen some five years ago, to bring AASRA’s prospective, back to it’s origin of being an organization for all amputees - to seek out a fraternity with other amputees and to learn from that closeness - has been fulfilled. The association is now more than ever, providing moral and physical support to amputees, as well as using the means of recreational and competitive sports, in their rehabilitation.

 Besides being involved in numerous amputee-support activities, Gwen has been involved in the sport of figure-skating for the past 27 years and was also on the Board of Directors of the Alberta-NWT/Nunavut Section of Skate Canada, being the Section’s Treasurer. She was one of the founding members of the Southern Edges Skating Club in Calgary, Alberta.

 A keen golfer, Gwen picked up a club for the first time, 20 years ago and has been ‘hooked’ on the game ever since. It was through amputee golf tournaments, that Gwen learnt to overcome her insecurity about the ‘physical’ look associated with her artificial leg. Wearing shorts for the first time was a big step as a ‘mature’ woman, even though she had overcome so many other obstacles along the way as a child. The torment from other children to physical afflictions, is something that Gwen sees as fast-diminishing in our society to-day, and that she feels is a very positive thing.

 Gwen has won the Canadian Ladies Amputee Open Golf tournament 11 times in the last 16 years , won the British Open Ladies Golf tournament in l995, was runner-up at the first World Series of Golf in Sydney, Australia in l996 and won this event in 2002 and was runner up in the U.S. Open Ladies Golf tournament in 1996 and 98. Gwen is a Past President of the Ladies Section of the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary, and is currently President of the Canadian Amputee Golf Association (CAGA) 

In 2005, Gwen was awarded the Patrice Cooper Perseverance Award, donated to NAGA by College Park Industries, awarded to someone who has demonstrated the will to push forward through adversity, and who sets an example of character and courage, for the rest of us to follow.

Gwen is the captain of the 2008 International team, going up against team USA, in the Robinson Cup at Plum Creek (Denver), Colorado in August, 2008

 

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