For Kenny Green being an amputee is not a disability. In fact, it’s always been his goal to prove otherwise. And he proves it every day of his life!
Kenny was born with a clubbed left foot due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around his foot while his mother was pregnant. After much research, his parents determined that a prosthesis would be more beneficial than life with braces, shoe inserts and multiple surgeries. They made the decision to amputate below the knee when he was six months old and a year later Kenny got his first prosthesis.
Kenny always thought of his amputation as “normal” and wearing a prosthesis as a child was not a negative factor. “I didn’t feel different from the other kids. My family and friends were very supportive.”
Kenny was very athletic growing up. He played football and basketball before turning to golf. “My dad was a big part of my sports life. He played basketball a lot. I really enjoyed watching him and every now and then I got to play with him,” recalls Kenny. “He definitely encouraged me in sports.”
Eventually his dad took up golf and Kenny followed shortly thereafter. “As it turned out, I had more talent in golf than the other sports so that i
s what I put my efforts into.”
By the time Kenny entered high school, he had not only become an avid golfer, but a very good avid golfer. “I began playing golf because it was fun. But in the back of my mind I always thought that if my talent level got good enough to compete on the professional level then I would.” At Middle Tennessee University, Kenny “walked on” the golf team and earned a scholarship. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in Business Management and turned pro in 2006.
Since turning pro he’s won several national and international golf championships, including the National Amputee Championship for 5 consecutive years! Last year he came in 2nd place in the Swedish Golf Invitational. Kenny plans to travel to Australia this year for the Southern Adelaide Amputee tournament.
So does being an amputee impact being a pro-golfer? “Not really....I may have to work a little harder than other people to be as good as I want to be, but being a professional golfer is just difficult all around.”
Sometimes though, there are the small details to think about. “You have to prepare yourself for the "what ifs". It might be something as little as bringing spare parts in case something breaks on your prosthesis or hoping your prosthesis doesn’t break during a competition."
Today Kenny lives in Smyrna, Tennessee with his wife, Christie. When Kenny’s not travelling the world playing professional golf or working in sales for Phoenix Metals, a metal distribution company, he plays wheelchair basketball. “I still really enjoy basketball
and the fast pace that the competition brings. It’s also a good break from golf. Golf can sometimes be slow and takes four to five hours to play. You can play five to six games of basketball in that same time frame. It is just a great change of pace for someone as competitive as I am.”
The best advice Kenny can offer fellow Hanger patients is to “think outside the box.”
"Don’t think of your amputation as a disability, think of it as an advantage,” says Kenny. “Use it to your benefit. It can open doors for you…athletics, maybe even the Paralympics. You can be an inspiration to others. Make it your goal to prove to yourself that you don’t have a disability.”