SINGAPORE – Becoming a professional golfer has always been more than about trophies and fame for Maria Fassi. In fact, her biggest inspiration comes from her disabled cousin, Josefina Gomez.
Gomez, 24, is mute, deaf and has brain paralysis – which limits her ability to move, balance and maintain posture – and struggled to find someone to teach her to play golf.
Fassi, also 24, decided to launch a non-profit foundation in 2021 – known as Fassi’s Friends – to help both disabled and able-bodied children from all backgrounds pick up the sport.
The foundation is based at the First Tee facility in north-west Arkansas; Fassi played at the University of Arkansas where she won the NCAA Division I individual women’s title in 2019, before joining the LPGA Tour that same year.
The Mexican, who finished 60th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, told The Straits Times: “Josefina had a very hard time finding somebody that was willing to teach her because of her disability. So I knew that was something I didn’t want any other kids to experience.
“We want to make sure that every kid no matter where they come from or what they look like, they still have the chance to learn how to play golf.”
Twice a week, Fassi’s Friends conduct clinics for two groups of 15 – free for those aged five to 17 – and has benefited hundreds of aspiring golfers. With a growing wait list, Fassi hopes to expand her programme, which is occasionally supported in person by veteran LPGA players Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford, to other parts of the United States.
“The feedback we’ve received from the parents and kids in Arkansas has been great. This year, we’re hoping to start expanding into Chicago and I definitely want to bring it back to Mexico as well,” Fassi said.
Gomez currently has a golf handicap of 20, which Fassi heralded as an “incredible achievement” given her disabilities.
“She has brain paralysis so like even standing still, you know, is a struggle for her. And then to watch her hit a golf ball or to make a putt and see her smile is pretty special,” said Fassi.
“She’s a very good golfer and I always say she would kick the butt of many people. It’s exciting to see the passion she has for the game and in her work ethic. She always wants to improve and that is a big inspiration for me.”
Fassi wants to make the game accessible for the less privileged. She said: “The coolest thing from the foundation has been to see the kids help each other out and learn from each other. There’s such a great sense of community amongst them, and that honestly just makes me very proud to see what we’ve been able to do.
“We just want to make sure there’s an opportunity for everyone to go out and do what they love with passion. I think a disabled person starts off at a different level than someone who is able-bodied and then you have those who are more well off economically also. We want to make sure everybody starts the race from the same spot.”
