The Anna Maria Island resident was diagnosed with the disease in 1978 and needs a walker to get around. But MS doesn't prevent Dimmick from volunteering at the Mote Marine Laboratory Aquarium and helping at Florida Guide Dogs for the Deaf.

Dimmick also is a regular each Wednesday morning at Bobby Jones Golf Complex in Sarasota, where people with disabilities participate in the Florida Adaptive Golf, Inc., program under executive director David Windsor and several dedicated volunteers.

"To a certain extent, it is a life-saver," Dimmick, 61, said. "For some people, it is like giving them their life back as far as being involved in something.

"It definitely has enabled me to stay active. Just being out on the course --- the beauty and serenity of it --- lifts the spirits, and you can see it in other folks who are in the program."

Florida Adaptive Golf, Inc. --- FLAG for short --- has served area individuals with disabilities since 1998. Windsor hopes to expand the year-round program throughout the state. He also wants to help disabled individuals progress toward careers in the golf industry in customer service, course maintenance and food-and-beverage service.

FLAG's contributions to the betterment of the community and in raising the confidence and independence of the disabled were recognized earlier this year by the U.S. Golf Association, which will provide a matching grant of $50,000 based on public and private donations.

"Anything like this takes time. I wish we could expand overnight, but we are slowly fitting pieces into the puzzle," said Windsor, former head professional at Foxfire Golf Club in Sarasota and the Preserve Golf Club at Tara.

"I've had so many opportunities myself through the game of golf, and it's rewarding to pass on those experiences to other people who normally would not have the chance to be on the course. And it makes me appreciate the game a lot more. When I miss the fairway, I don't complain as much."

London native Haydn Nash, 41, suffered a traumatic brain injury in 1993 in a vehicle accident. His left hand and arm are paralyzed, and he uses a cane or walker due to additional left-side damage.

The former rugby player joined FLAG last September. Watching Nash knock a drive more than 100 yards one-handed with a custom-fitted club is a testament to his competitive spirit, as well as a measure of the program's impact.

Nash and other adaptive golfers use a single-rider adaptive golf cart with a rack in front to hold their clubs, hand levers and a seat that swivels both ways (for use by right-handed and left-handed golfers).

"I love it. It's great being out in the fresh air," Nash said. "It obviously is not as physically demanding as a contact sport, but just being here with other people of similar disabilities means a lot."

FLAG accepts golfers with all types of disabilities: stroke survivors, amputees, individuals with orthopedic problems or brain injuries and deaf and blind players. As individuals advance, they take to the course for nine-hole rounds with an instructor.

FLAG also has a once-a-week Junior Adaptive Golf program on Friday mornings at Bobby Jones. Kim Motycka of Sarasota accompanies her 18-year-old son Michael, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, and her husband Steve, who suffers from coordination problems and motor-skill impairment after developing lymphoma of the central nervous system.

"(Windsor and the volunteers) don't just say 'Here, try golf.' They are very supportive of everyone," Kim Motycka said. "Michael is a sports fanatic, and he'll go out with his brother and a couple friends from the neighborhood and play four or five holes for socialization.

"Adaptive golf is probably the best program for people with disabilities that I've come across," she added.

FLAG plans to begin a summer junior program June 7 in Manatee County at Stoneybrook Golf Club at Heritage Harbour, to run from 8:30-10 a.m. for eight consecutive weeks.

Able-bodied beginning golfers are also welcome to join. The registration fee is $25. For details, call Windsor at 364-GOLF or 650-5750.

This story is courtesy of Bradenton Herald at http://www.bradenton.com/