Photo: Robert Ruggiero | Unsplash
Despite having been born without hands, Brandon Cansei, a native of Northfield, New Jersey, is now an icon for adaptive golf. His main goals are to motivate people to overcome obstacles in life and raise awareness about adaptive golf. Cansei, now based in Miami, plays the game with the grip of the extra-long club tucked under his upper arm, a technique he developed when he first played golf as a boy. Cansei loves teaching young golfers, especially those with disabilities. This has led him to help out at a weekly adaptive golf program, as well as to run a clinic for 60 double-arm amputees in Houston and another for children with varying disabilities at the Shriners Open in Las Vegas. Cansei also has a passion for competition that rivals his love of teaching. He is in the double arm impairment category for adaptive golfing, and is ranked No.1 for his category in the US. Having only played in a handful of tournaments starting in 2018, Cansei is currently ranked 208th in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability. "For me, it's just about being the best that I can be," he said. "I'm not worried about being better than others. But when I do play, I win my division every time." Cansei relishes being able to prove himself when he’s underestimated since it “fuels his fire.” "You have to own who you are. Some people might see it as a weakness, but I turned it into my strength. You are who you want to be, and you are who you make yourself -- it doesn't matter what you're dealt." Cansei hopes to free up more time in his hectic schedule for competing and playing his part in the rise of adaptive golf. "The more people, the more exposure that we can have, the more lives we can change and the more we can inspire and help," he said.
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