Page 38 - GBC Summer ENG flipbook 2024

Todd Keirstead
Todd is an award-winning PGA of Canada instructor and worldwide celebrity golf entertainer. He is also a leader in the world of adaptive golf, founding ParaGolf Canada. For more
information, visit toddkeirsteadgolf.com or contact Todd at gwagolf@hotmail.com | 289-600-9957.
As stakeholders in the golf industry, it’s crucial for us to recognize the significant role we play in promoting sun safety. While golfers must ultimately take responsibility for their own sun protection, collectively we have a duty to educate and facilitate safe practices. Studies show that individuals face an elevated risk of skin damage and cancer due to prolonged sun exposure. This underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive sun safety measures at golf facilities for our staff and golfers.
CALL TO ACTION FROM A SKIN CANCER SURVIVOR
As a skin cancer survivor, my journey has been marked by resilience, acceptance, and advocacy.Growing up in an era where a sunburn was shrugged off as no big deal, I found myself in a world where sun exposure was not only normalized but glorified in a sun-worshipping culture. A sunburn carried little weight, seen as an inconvenience rather than a health concern.Assuming you applied anything to your skin before heading outside, it was quite often in the expectation of attracting the allure of the sun’s rays rather than shielding oneself from its harmful effects. To me, a sunburn was a badge of honor, an indicator of how extraordinary the weekend was underthesun’swarmembrace.
As I embarked on my career as a PGA Professional in 1995, traveling the globe to showcase unconven- tional golf trick shots that defy convention and capturing accolades such as the “Trick Shot of the Year” on the Golf Channel, and a world leader in the provision of adaptive golf, I remained blissfully unaware of the hidden toll my passion was exacting on my health. With each swing of the club and every moment spent advocating for individuals with disabilities on the green, the sun’s relentless UV radiation silently penetrated my skin, setting the stage for a battle I never anticipated. The sobering reality of skin cancer, the most common cancer type that silently claims many lives, was a stark awakening.
As a golfer, I found myself at a heightened risk, with startling statistics highlighting the alarming levels of UV radiation exposure. Golfers have a significantly increased likelihood of skin cancer compared to non-golfers. In fact, regular golfers endure UV radiation levels 217 times greater than what is required to cause sunburn over a year, largely due to the typical four to six hours of sun exposure during a typical round of golf.
My personal journey with skin cancer began with a seemingly tiny innocuous spot on my nose that I initially dismissed. Gradually, over time, this small mark evolved into a worrisome lesion, prompting me to seek medical advice from a dermatologist’s office. The diagnosis
38 Golf Business Canada