Northiands

Al Price
Contriéuting Writer

WITH line pomp and
no ceremony, last
Saturday North
Vancouver District
became the second
community in Canada
to have a public golf
course accessible to the
disabled.

Through the parks and
recreation department, the
taxpayers of the districe pur-
chased a Golf Xpress accessi-
ble golf scart for the
Northlands public course.

Disabled goifers, from
those with degenerative dis-
cases to those who simply can-
not walk the challenging and
hiily = Northlands — course
because of hip replacement
surgery or other catises, have
North Van resident Derck
Lunden to thank for their new
opportunity to return ty the
game.

Lunden, a passionate skier
and golfer, was diagnosed
with primary progressive mul-
tiple sclerosis in August 1991.

The diagnosis came after
the first run of the day at
Blackcomb a few months car-

er.

An avid skier since the age
of five, Lunden had complet-
ed his first of whar was usually
severai runs.

; “After the first run, |
couldn’t control my muscles,”
said Lunden,

“The muscles weren’t
strong enough. So before the
diagnosis, | knew something

"was wrong. The diagnasis
only gave a label to the prob-
lem.” :

~ - Six» months later he was

forced to buy a wheelchair.

Always proud of how he
was able.to control his fife, it
was now falling apart.

As the director of market-

‘ing for a highly successful
software company, and

. engaged te be married after a
previous marriage had dis-
solved, he. faced a life of
uncertainty. :

“I changed from an outgo-
ing person to someone who
was introspective and
depressed,” said Lunden. .

But after two years of
‘retreat to “a very quicr place”
in his mind, Lunden became 4
Christian,.and once again

“ took control of his iife.

He is now. married to

Maria, who works at Ballard.

' Power, and they have an 18-
: month-old son Mark. :

. Lunden also has a 14-year-
old son Rob from his previous
marriage.

eae

 COORT

He and Maria bought a
house last vear in) Norgate,
and have since fixed it up to
be compictely accessible.

Lunden is now the major
giit and planned giving man-
ager of the Multiple Sclerosis
Society of Canada, British
Columbia Division, and has
developed a mantra: “If you
believe you can’t you
wort. If you believe you can
— you just minh”

Most North Shore resi-
dents recognize Lunden as the
smiling fellow who sits outside
the Safeways ahead of the
SuperCities Walk,  secking
pledges.

He was a volunteer for the
MS Society before starting to
work there full-time a year
ago.

“T cbelieve I have the
opportunity to help people
make a difference in their
lives,” he said.

“The job makes some
sense of having MS. Pve gone
from being an athletic, driven
businessperson to being ... an
athletic, driven businessperson
— but it was a big transition.”

What helped — Lunden
believe he could do anything
he set his mind to was getting
back to skiing.

“It was May 17, 1996,
There was not a cloud in the
sky. was tethered for the first
two runs to a member of the
Disabled Skiers Association of
B.C. After the second run,
they let me go to ski on my
own. All the muscles, the cells,
the feeling was there. All the
disciplines that existed as an
able-bodied skier also existed
as 2 sit-skier. That first day at
Blackcomb was an unbelicv-
able experience.”

- At the end of one day of
skiing, Lunden noticed that
just as he was putting his skis
away, others in Whistler were
putting their golf clubs away.

He reasoned that if he
could ski again, surely he
could golf as well.

But the hardest part, he
found, was getting on a golf
course.

At most courses, the ciub-
house, the washrooms and the
grounds were all wheelchair-
accessible, but not the course.

And there was no cquip-
ment for a disabled golfer.

He set about to. change
that.

Doing some research, he
found. several manufacturers
of single-person carts . to
accoinmodate disabled
golfers.

At the time, the Fraserview
course. in Vancouver was
being ‘redeveloped, so. he
approached the parks board in

. the spring of 1996 about try-

adds disal

Friday, July 30,

ieti access to GOUISE

1999 - North Shore News — 9

Ga

L.
NEWS photo Brad Ledwid~o

DEREK Lunden can now play tee to green at Northlands gol! course thanke to the purchase of an accessible
golf cart. The Golf Xpress cari with its hand controls and swivel seat was added to the Nerthland's cart inver:-
tory last week after Lunden fobbied for disabled access. Lundsn was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1981.

ing a pilot project with single-
rider golf carts.

They agreed, but it wasn’t
until Seprember that Lunden
checked back to find out how
the program was going.

He was then tok! there was

“A family will
go to a course
with access for the
disabled golfer,
and all the other
courses just lost
four paying
rounds.”

no money available for a sin-
gle-person cart, so though the
program had been accepted,
no disabled golfers had been
able to play. , .

The next day, Landen
raised the $6,500 needed,
through the Kinsmen
Foundation and the Century
Plaza Ladies Media Golf
Classic.

The moncy was donated to
the Vancouver Parks Board,

OINTED .

RECEIVERSHIP SALE*

. BOWEN ISLAND

(a 20 minute ferry ride in beautiful Howe Sound from Horseshoe Bay, West Varicouver),

| oo 25 and 5 Acre Sunny Building Lots

For more information

‘please Phone

JEFE DENNIS.
“AT 623-5788

fully serviced with water, hydro,
cable and telephone

00 % financing available

“(all offer subject to court approval)

MACDONALD REALTY (WEST VAN) LTD —

926-6718.

Suite 113, 100 Park Royal, West Vancouver, 3.C. V7T 142
Jateract Address:htto://www.macrealor.coa/macrealty

and a cart was purchased.

Since then, The McClecry
and Fraserview public courses
in Vancouver have purchased
carts, and on July 10, a new
cart was delivered to
Northlands.

Initially Lunden wanted to
show other people with MS
that they could return to the
gamc of golf.

But he soon realized that
others would benefit as well,
former players now suffering
other degenerative diseases, as
well as people with hip or leg
problems who simply couldi’t
walk the course properly, and
without 4 cart, couldn't play
the game they loved.

He started his own small
company: You Can ... Sports
Inc. which is dedicated to cre-
ating opportunities for people

with disabilities to be involved .

in sports and recreatiunal
activities.

The company secks out
equipment which enables par-
ticipation, but aise’ provides
awareness programs and
instruction for both the end
users and instructors.

He also didn’t intend for

_ the carts to be used by groups

of disabled people.’
They were meant for the
mian or woman who previous-

iv played golf with a grou
but who tow, for whatever
reason, couldn’t.

Or for parents and older
children who had previousiy
played together.

Or for the person who just
wants to hit the links and play
a game again.

“Wher § approached
North Vancouver District
Council, | explained that even
though Northlands was a

ublic course, it was not pub-
ic. The public is more than
able-bodied people. [ am the
public,” Lunden said.

Northlands manager
Laurie Craddock made the
decision, and found the funds
in his operating budget.

“It’s. a great invention,” :
said Gary Nedergard, director _

of golf play at Northlands.

“Now we’ve just got to get.

peopts using it.”

Anyone who needs the cart .

can phone Northlands and
book it, along with a tee time;
the same as any other golfer.

The cart can go from tee-
to green, wherever anyone can’.

walk, end does no damage to
the course.

It weighs about 300 ib.,
compered to 1,000 Ib. for a
double-ride cart. The seat
swivels around and the arm-

Affordably Priced from $42-$86
; Sizes Available

24"W x 37°H
24°W x 4312"H
24°W x 56%0"H
24°W x 68%"
24"W x B0%"H

B. CANA

LAN

IAN CLOSET

-~ A family owned business since 1984”
1385 Crown St.

30°W x 37"H ~
30"W x 43%2"H
30°W x 56%0"H
30°W x 685/"H
30°W x 807"H

N. Van.

rests lift. It has hand controls
instead of foor pedals.

The impact on a green is
less than the average golfer’s
fout.

Once again passionate
about golf, Lunden recendy
won a gold medal at the B.C.
Games for Athletes with a
Disability in North
Vancouver. And he. has his
sights set on convincing more
courses to consider opening
up to disabled golfers. .

“It makes sense fron: a_
business standpoint,” said
Lunden.

“A family will go to a
course with access for the dis-
abled golfer, and al! the other
courses just lost four paying
rounds.” wo _

He said_as a resuit of host- .
ing the B.C.°Gamies . for ™

. Athletes with a: Disability, the :
Seymour course is now inves- ”
tigating providing accessibility:
carts to its members and the ~
public. ver An te

_.. | “T just want to play, golf,” -
said Lunden, who now is abl
to golf with ‘his: 14-year-old. -
son, and is looking forward to
gelfing | with -his “18-montii-”.
old son in about five years...-.:

“[ just. hope -people will-
read this and realize they cay
return to the game they lov.

986-4