Kevin Naniewicz was born 40 years ago with Down Syndrome. At that time, his parents were told to institutionalize him since his life expectancy due to medical complications was at best age 18.
Now, over 40 years later, Kevin has become a leader in his community and an inspiration to all that know him. He is a multiple Gold medal winner in the Special Olympics at the state level. He currently serves as the honorary chairperson for The Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania, a branch of the largest organization dedicated to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Growing up with two older brothers that were star football players, Kevin struggled to find a way to “fit in.” When Chip Sullivan, TaylorMade National Player Counsel Professional, married Kevin’s cousin, Kari, in 1996, he introduced Kevin to the game of golf. He was immediately bitten by the bug and became Chip’s number one fan, following his every move on the golf course and playing with Chip in charity pro-ams.
In tandem with Kevin’s affinity with Chip came his affinity for TaylorMade Golf. If Chip plays it, Kevin must have it, from gloves and shoes to balls and irons. So when Chip and his 14-year-old son, Colby, came for a recent fitting at the Reynolds Kingdom of Golf presented by Taylor Made, they were excited to bring along Kevin.
“It’s been over 21 years ago now that I first met Kevin and introduced him to the sport,” says Chip. “We stay in touch all the time and the first thing he asks me about when we get on the phone is ‘How is TaylorMade doing?’” Kevin’s golf bag is made up entirely of TaylorMade clubs, with the exception of his putter given to him by Chip.
The team at The Kingdom heard Kevin’s story and word of his visit spread all the way to TaylorMade headquarters in Carlsbad, California. A plan was put together to give Kevin a one-of-a-kind experience. TaylorMade shipped a personalized staff bag with Kevin’s name embroidered on it along with a hat, shirt, balls, and more to Georgia.
When the family arrived, they were given a tour of the 7,500 square foot facility. Kevin was then brought into one of The Kingdom’s four heated indoor bays where he met Sean Cain, Lead Instructor at The Kingdom, and Blake Adams, PGA Professional. Sean displayed Kevin’s swing on Trackman equipment and video and worked with him to help improve his backswing.
“It was really awesome to host Kevin,” says Sean. “We wanted to give him the presidential treatment today because he is so inspiring and such an awesome person. He deserves more than we could ever give him.”
Kevin was then presented with his new bag and goodies from TaylorMade, which was met with an emotional response all around. “I had a great day at The Kingdom,” says Kevin. “Sean helped my arm in my swing and I really love my bag.”
