Golf fanatic Jordan Thomas was simply 16 years outdated in 2005 when a tragic boating accident modified his life without end. It was throughout a household scuba diving journey within the Florida Keys that the younger man was dragged into the boat’s highly effective propellers, ensuing within the lack of each of his legs from under the knee.
Refusing to be outlined by his incapacity, nevertheless, Thomas not solely returned to the golf course earlier than he may even stroll with prosthetics, however the tenacious teenager additionally arrange a charitable basis from his hospital mattress, giving himself a brand new life-mission: to help those that couldn’t afford prosthetics however had been let down by insurance coverage firms.
Now readying for the 2025 U.S Adaptive Openthis extremely inspirational determine talks to M&F about his bodily and psychological restoration via sport, and his unwavering need to assist others in related conditions.
Simply 9 days following his life-altering accident, Jordan Thomas was already specializing in a nonprofit basis to acquire prosthetic limbs for these in want. “I’m a little bit of a disruptor,” he tells M&F. “I believe that the established order is damaged when it comes to how we deal with kids with limb loss.”
Regardless of the tragic lack of his personal legs, Thomas says that he at all times understood he was in a state of privilege as a result of his household had been capable of help him financially, whereas others who depend on the system are sometimes failed. At this time, the Jordan Thomas Basis has gone from strength-to-strength and has supported greater than 200 kids, elevating over $10 million, to be able to present bodily and psychological help to those that have misplaced limbs.
“Finally, all of it comes right down to insurance coverage firms that don’t cowl prosthetics,” explains Thomas of his motivation. “As a result of on the finish of the day, they don’t need to pay for the prosthetics, and they also’ll say issues like, ‘Oh, it’s not medically mandatory that this little one have a prosthesis to run’. However I can’t consider a extra mandatory factor in a toddler’s life than to have the ability to run as a toddler. The impression that being sedentary can have on psychological well being, bodily well being, well-being, and social connection is unimaginable,” he says.
So not solely is Thomas engaged in fundraising to plug the gaps that insurance coverage firms fail to deal with, however he’s additionally calling for modifications in political coverage too, to drive monetary help through laws. “It’s maddening,” he shares. “Insurance coverage firms must cowl this.”
Jordan Thomas Reclaimed His Bodily and Psychological Well being By means of Golf
To reclaim an necessary a part of his outdated life whereas constructing his basis and dealing on his personal psychological well being, Thomas first returned to the golf course in a wheelchair “to get right into a golf cart and simply get pushed round as a result of it’s an area for me that’s acquainted and comfy and secure,” he displays.
Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be lengthy earlier than Thomas was vertical once more. “Finally, we as people have this unimaginable capacity to adapt,” he explains. “My accident was on August 16, 2005, and I walked once more on October 14. I imply, I began with simply chipping the golf ball 5 yards as a result of I felt like I used to be on stilts looking for my steadiness once more.”
Luckily, Thomas did discover his steadiness, and as soon as he re-mastered his swinghis recreation continued to soar. To seek out his golf footing, Thomas explains that he needed to relearn the whole lot from strolling the terrain of a golf course on prosthetics to determining his weight distribution when making strokes. To that finish, Thomas used expertise like weighted sensors to good his stance.
Now a top-ranked adaptive golfer, Thomas got here fifth total within the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open in 2022. Final yr, he got here second in his impairment class (G3 impairment in each legs), and in 2025 he’s seeking to return to the Open after turning into the primary double amputee ever to qualify for the Tennessee State Newbie.
The Jordan Thomas Basis is Altering Lives
“I’m feeling actually good with the place my recreation is, and I’m truly going to DC. Tomorrow, to play the golf course, to take a look at it earlier than the Open kicks off in July,” he tells M&F. “However yeah, I really feel fairly good about my possibilities. I be ok with the place my recreation is, and I hope to have some success.”
Nonetheless, regardless of these hopes of medals, Thomas says that golf is primarily a approach for the change-maker to boost consciousness for the important work that the inspiration does to help people who the monetary firms proceed to let down.
By means of the Jordan Thomas Basis, he’s additionally capable of create occasions that convey children open air and see what’s attainable when the human spirit is keen. Nonetheless, the athlete explains that offering help isn’t about essentially creating the following paralympian. “I believe one of the highly effective issues that I’m most happy with is that we had a lady that took step one of her life with a prosthetic that was secured via the inspiration,” beams Thomas. “She additionally used a prosthetic from the inspiration to stroll throughout her highschool stage.”
There isn’t any doubt that Jordan Thomas has change into a hero on and off the golf course, and it’s simple to see why his mantra of “Press On!” noticed him change into nationally acknowledged as a CNN Hero amongst many different well-deserved accolades. “I’ve discovered a goal,” says the unassuming hero, proudly. “And I don’t doubt why I exist on this planet.”
