Jason Hicks Faircloth is Founder and Presiden of the United States Disabled Golf Association. As a 2020 Connect Sports Game Changer, he discusses his passion for sports tourism.
 

*Connect with Jason Hicks Faircloth on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. 

How I got here: I competed in the 2011 and 2012 Disabled British Open near London. After these trips and my previous work in the golfing world, I thought this was a much-needed event to hold in the U.S.

Why I am a Game Changer: Adaptive golf competitions that promote all disabilities were considered an afterthought in the U.S. only a few years ago. We are giving golfers who have disabilities a voice—promoting what people can do instead of what they cannot do.

Specific event I am proud of organizing: The 2018 US Disabled Open was the start of our mission and goals. With only a month to go, we had only 15 players, a couple of volunteers, and no money to buy any gifts or trophies. A couple of months later, cities came calling, wanting us to hold events there. I guess it turned out pretty good.

What’s next? Unfortunately, our 2020 event was canceled. With this said, it has given us the opportunity to hopefully select sites years in advance so we can work on making each year better. 

What I do outside of work: I compete in other golf championships in the U.S. In 2019, The United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient came up with the world rankings for golfers with disabilities so we are all trying to climb up the rankings.
 

Words that describe Faircloth:

Determined

Visionary

Competitive