Ana Browne is no ordinary golfer. Hidden inside her body she carries a secret handicap that’s invisible to her playing partners but one that has saved her life. In 2020 Ana underwent a double lung transplant. It was an invasive life-saving surgery, as her health had deteriorated so much that without a transplant she would have had only months to live.
“At 18 I was given two years to live as I became very ill, but then I became stronger and had my 20th, then my 30th birthday,” she explains. “My mum said she never thought I’d make 30 but after it I started to deteriorate. I made my 40th birthday and just kept going until aged 41 when I had my lung transplant. I’m now 46 and have had a precious extra five years so far with my two children, husband, family and friends. I’m forever grateful and living life.”
Ana had never picked up a golf club before her transplant but in the months post-surgery she found joy in the therapeutic effects of learning the sport outdoors.
“After my surgery I was looking for a new sport that would be safe for me to participate in, as I’m on immunosuppression medication for the rest of my life, which makes me vulnerable and high risk,” she explains. “Before my transplant, I couldn’t walk for more than three minutes without needing oxygen; even holding a conversation was exhausting. Today, I can walk 18 holes of a golf course. It changed my life.”
Ana had never picked up a golf club before her transplant
(Image credit: Ana Browne)
To say that Ana’s transplant was life-saving would be an under-statement. As a Cystic Fibrosis sufferer, a life-limiting respiratory condition, her life expectancy growing up was roughly 34 years old. Only two years different from her now golf handicap of 32. Getting the transplant was her opportunity to extend her life. After her operation Ana discovered that golf was the perfect sport that could be played alone or in a small group for medical reasons.
“Golf is my therapy, the joy I feel being outside, being able to walk again, and taking in all the beauty of the course is incredible,” she enthuses. “It makes me feel alive and free, it takes away the anxieties that life brings. Golf is my recovery, it gives me a sense of purpose and significantly improves my physical and mental health.”
Ana joined Finchley Golf Club’s Impact Golf Academy and has formed life-long friendships with the women there. “It was important to me to be part of a community and have a sense of belonging,”…
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