Paralysed GAA star turns to golf

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A former GAA county star who lost the use of his legs in a workplace accident has kept up his sporting life thanks to a gift from his local community in Lisnaskea, and now Cormac McAdam wants to help others with spinal cord injuries.
The Lisnaskea man and an experienced plastering contractor was 37 when he fell from a customer's roof while plastering a chimney five years ago.

His ladder slipped and Cormac fell 40 feet to the ground, leaving the gaelic footballer with multiple injuries, including five broken bones in his back, a damaged spinal cord, punctured lungs, eight broken ribs and a broken thumb.

The father-of-three has been paralysed from the chest down because of the injury to his spinal column, but says he has not accepted that he will never walk again.

"My life changed in February 2006 and it's very hard to take in that you might never walk again.

"I don't think you do take it in. I definitely think I will get back on my feet someday - that's the thing that keeps people with spinal cord injuries going.

"If you didn't you can fall into a very dark hole."

'The Keady Cat' captained Fermanagh for 13 years and as his gaelic career was coming to a close, Cormac took up a different sport.

"Golf gives you something to do. I kept playing club football for Lisnaskea Emmetts and got involved also at Clones Golf Club.

"After the accident, the turning point for me was the load of support I got from the GAA and Clones golf club.

"They run fundraising events put the money together and bought me this buggy."

Cormac uses a specially adapted van to drive himself to the golf club and his motorised buggy takes him around the course easily. But the 42-year-old said there is no such thing as a quick game of golf anymore.

"Before the accident someone would ring me up an hour before and ask if you want to play a round of golf. Now it's a day's notice I need to make sure the buggy's charged for the game."

Cormac wants to use his experience to help others who have severe back injuries and he hopes one specific charity could help him get back on his feet.

"Six to eight people a day across the UK and Republic of Ireland will end up in wheelchairs because of spinal cord injuries.

"That means this time tomorrow, someone will be getting the dreadful news that I got and I would like to think that there's help there for them. Spinal Research is a very small charity, and the research they do is very important.

"You just keep going and hoping someday I'll get a little movement back."

Sourced: U.TV

I'm off to the golf course guys!

[Up The Middle]

Inspiring stuff, makes you realise how much you take for granted. Fair play to the man dont think i could be so positive.

[sligoman2]

Inspirational stuff. I wish him and bis family well. Competing in any sport is what keeps us all ticking over

[ziggysego]

It was featured on UTV Live this evening.

http://www.u.tv/utvplayer/video/138185/113108