Faces of FGA

Meet some of the two thousand individuals who have gained freedom and a sense of joy through the game of golf.

Leonard  Somogyi

“During the two years since [my husband Leonard’s] hemorrhagic stroke, we have come a long way as a family, especially emotionally, and we know that much of our journey is ahead of us.  My husband has lived a very active life filled with hiking vacations, recreational hockey and golf.  Giving Leonard the opportunity to see that he can rekindle his love of golf is an amazing gift for which I am grateful beyond words.  Please know that my heart is filled with joy today.”
​– Julie Somogyi, wife of FGA athlete Leonard Somogyi

James Tucker

As a wounded veteran, “I use [Freedom Golf Association] as recreational therapy.   If it wasn’t for golf, I don’t think I would be here today, to be honest.  I was big into sports, and when I got injured I wasn’t able to play a lot of them.  I started golf five years ago again, after taking a long break over deployments, and getting back into the game kind of helped me lose weight, get in better shape, and I think it helped me mentally kind of take a break.”
​- James Tucker, Marines Veteran

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​Creola Alfalileh

​“We’re involved in the program because it’s so beneficial.  It’s a challenge for me.  It helps me to focus better, and it makes me compete against myself.  It has really motivated me to get involved and reconnected, and that’s one thing I told EQ when I first met him.  He took me around during the BMW Golf Classic and showed me some things and exposed me to some things, and I was like a kid in a candy store; it was just so exciting, to be in the company of people that are very serious about golf!  It was very inspiring.”
​– Creola Alfalileh, Army Veteran

Tracy Ramin

​“I just think golf in general is motivational to help people to get back into a normal life, whether they’re a disabled veteran or a disabled individual.  People of all levels—with amputations, paralyzed veterans, paralyzed Americans—can all get back and play golf.  There’s so much accessibility and tools and equipment to allow disabled people to play golf.  It’s a way for them to get out and do things, to have some exercise and not just be sitting on the couch.  They’re out enjoying actual events.”
​– Tracy Ramin, FGA Supporter

​Eric Dixon

​“Freedom Golf Association is very special to me because it helps bring me out of myself.  I have mental and physical problems, which people don’t readily recognize or see, but I know myself.  This organization gives me the opportunity to fellowship with other people that have similar circumstances to myself.  It gives me exercise, very good exercise, which my internist and my different specialists at Hines Veterans Hospital want me to be involved in, and they appreciate what is done though this organization.  I appreciate it because it gives me a feeling of being whole and accomplishing something, and moving forward in life.”
​– Eric Dixon, Army Veteran