Adaptive Golf Coordinator
Photo by Randy Bingham
A local company uses a title for their reception staff as the Director of First Impressions, Tim Surry is most certainly that.
When you work the front desk at the Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center you have a lot job duties.
First you are the welcome committee, next you are the security department, next you give tours, you answer calls and questions, and on occasion you are the complaint-receiving department! Tim does all this with a warm and welcoming attitude whether it is at the start of his shift at 6:00 a.m. or at the end of shift.
But wait…there’s more. Tim also is a great ambassador and coordinator for the Ability360 Adaptive Golf program which has grown tremendously, he is the captain of the Scorpions our Wheelchair Lacrosse team and he is a proud member of Team360 participating in many different competitions including the National Wheelchair Curling Bonspeil!
Ability360 is lucky to have Tim as part of our team!
-Gus LaZear
How long have you been with Ability360?
I volunteered here for a little over a year and then I started as an employee in 2014.
What brought you to Ability360?
I came to a health and wellness fair at Ability360 and heard there would be an adaptive gym. I fell in love with the place. I got invited to a Tango class and I said: “Tango! I don’t want to do Tango.” But I did. I fell in love with dancing and everything this place had to offer.
Outside of Ability360, what are your hobbies and favorite things to do?
I love ATV riding. I do a lot of target practice and shooting. I attend concerts and sporting events. My goal is to see the Seattle Seahawks in every NFL Stadium. I have 14 stadiums down, only 18 to do. I expect to do a couple this season.
How’d you get involved in the adaptive golf program at Ability360?
A former employee here told me about these machines that help you stand up and play golf. They looked pretty cool, but I had played fewer than 10 times in high school. I got on the cart and hit it [the ball] far and straight, and I thought, “This is cool.” I knew this machine would give me time to hang out with my buddies on the golf course.
How can an Ability360 member get involved in the golf program?
We play three times a month. Everyone is welcome on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of each month and we’ll start back up in September. We also rent out the carts to people who are playing on their own time. They just call the Sports & Fitness Center and we will meet them on the course.
What do you get out of working with this program?
I love that we get to use these carts (Stand Up and Play – See profile in edition 4). They literally lift you up and you can see eye to eye with people. Everyone is together, you’re high-fiving each other and you’re looking your buddies right in the eyes.
What is your favorite part about playing golf?
I love the challenge of the game. Just being able to beat the hole if you will, conquer it. But hey, the next one is coming up and it is coming real strong on you and you might not beat that one.