GOLFER Cameron Pollard shows what can be achieved when you focus on ability rather than the disability.

The Assistant Golf Professional at Sawtell Golf Club recently won the All Abilities Championship contested during this year’s WA Open at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.

Playing on the same course, at the same time, and under the same playing conditions as the professionals, Australia’s leading golfers with a disability competed over 36 holes for the inaugural All Abilities Championship.

It was a big trip across to Western Australia to play on Saturday April 30 and Sunday May 1, and then fly back home, but Cameron is becoming accustomed to competing all over the country.

Just 23 years old, Cameron has been playing golf since he was old enough to join his dad on the course, and he got his handicap when he was just twelve.

For the last six years he’s been taking his golf seriously, competing in All Abilities events around the country, although he says he’s “not too upset if he hits a bad shot, there’s always more opportunities,” and he focuses on those.

Cameron has worked in the Pro Shop at the Sawtell Golf Course for eight years and gets in as much practice as he can, honing his game with the experienced support of PGA of Australia professional Brendan Barnes.

All Abilities competitions are open to participants from across Australia who are vision impaired, amputees and players with intellectual and neurological disabilities.

Cameron has a number of disabilities, the most significant being autism, which affects the way he connects with people and interacts with them, often misreading their emotions.

Cameron also has a bowel disease called Hirschsprung’s Disease, which required removal of his bowel.

And he also has a condition called Ehler-danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that causes his joints to dislocate and he has needed several knee repairs.

Cameron says the knee operations have helped to keep him more stable throughout his swing.

Cameron’s attention now is on his next challenge at the NSW Inclusive Championships at Medowie, NSW in a week’s time, when he will be defending champion following his big win in Western Australia.

Two weeks later he will compete again at Redcliffe in Queensland.

But Cameron and his fellow competitors have their eyes on bigger prizes still.

What they would like to achieve is to have all disability events inclusive with mainstream golf championships, with hopes that golf will soon be included as an Olympic sport.

It’s certainly a goal worth pursuing.

In the meantime, News Of The Area is looking forward to reporting on Cameron Pollard’s success at Medowie and Redcliffe in coming weeks.

Watch this space.

By Susan KONTIC