John contracted polio as a very young child which left him with one good leg. Struggling with his disability as a teenager he was pushed into playing golf by his father. He found he could compete at a very high level with everyone else resulting in a new found confidence. He stopped feeling sorry for himself and never looked back.

He overcame his adversity through golf and went on to have a long and highly successful career in the sports industry. In 1978, John joined Mark McCormack’s International Management Group (IMG) - the largest sports marketing, entertainment and media company in the world. As Senior Vice President, John managed elite sportsmen such as: Nick Faldo; Bernhard Langer; Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Vijay Singh and Sebastian Coe and helped create both amateur and professional events around the world.

In 2009 the British Defence Rehabilitation Centre invited John to speak about conquering adversity. He was so moved by the injured soldiers he met that he knew golf could help them just as it had done him. He founded the On Course Foundation in the UK the following year and it launched in the USA in 2012. Through the power of golf the Foundation’s objective is to provide a new direction and hope for wounded, injured and sick veterans who have given so much for their countries.

John was honoured with an MBE for his charity work in the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours.

CONQUERING DISABILITY THROUGH SPORT
Having contracted polio as a young child, John was left with one good leg. Struggling with his disability as a teenager, his father coerced him into the game of golf which gave him a new found confidence after which he never looked back.
John overcame his adversity through golf and went on to have a long and highly successful career in the sports industry. In 1978, John joined Mark McCormack’s International Management Group (IMG) - the largest sports marketing, entertainment and media company in the world. As Senior Vice President, John managed elite sportsmen such as: Nick Faldo; Bernhard Langer; Greg Norman, Vijay Singh and Sebastian Coe and helped create both amateur and professional events around the world.

ANECDOTES FROM THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT/GOLF
Anecdotes around the growth of professional golf worldwide, including stories about the tours and managing sports greats such as Sir Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Lord Sebastian Coe and others. A look at the state of the professional golf world today.

THE POWER OF SPORT FOR OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
In 2009 John was invited to speak at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in the UK and was moved by what he saw and heard. John spoke to the patients (many amputees injured in Afghanistan) about the opportunities in golf and related this to his own life experience. Many were enthused by the chance to participate, compete and work in such a sport. This was the genesis of John’s military charity the On Course Foundation. John’s aim was to create a charity to offer injured and sick veterans the opportunity to participate in golf on a level playing field with everyone else, either as a player or through employment in the golf industry.

THE IMPACT OF SPORT/GOLF ON OUR WOUNDED HEROES
John founded the military charity On Course Foundation in 2010 in the UK and in 2012 in the USA. “On Course Foundation and golf saved my life after I had given up and was numb” US veteran. The power of golf and the confidence generated from the game has led to extraordinary achievements by the Foundation’s beneficiaries. John speaks of heart warming success stories and relates the incredible achievements of wounded veterans. John was honoured with an MBE for his charity work in the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours.

As a past SVP of US sports management company IMG, I managed elite sports stars regularly presenting to sponsors/federations. In 2010 I founded a military charity to support the recovery of wounded veterans through golf. My talks are an insight to my time at IMG plus inspiring charity anecdotes.