Edward Urquhart Leaving A Legacy Award 2022 Winner, Dustin Boydell

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Toronto Ontario, December 5, 2022

Edward Urquhart Leaving A Legacy Award 2022 Winner, Dustin Boydell

By Todd Keirstead

 

On July 10, 2021, the world lost not only a great man but an even greater partner and father in Edward Urquhart. 

I knew Eddie as a good friend and a fierce competitor in life. He gave everything he had towards everything that he wanted to achieve. 

From surviving a horrific accident in 2016, Edward went on to be an accomplished para kayaker, Canadian para powerlifting record holder, GoodLife fitness “Canadian Strong” ambassador, long drive competitor, and para golf medalist. With all of these accolades, Edward’s greatest accomplishment though was being a loving son, partner, and father.

Edward, your story has inspired many and has helped even more get over their personal mental, and physical barriers. 

With permission from his wife, Andrea, ParaGolf Canada wanted to keep his legacy alive in the ParaGolf community. ParaGolf Canada created the “Edward Urquhart Leaving A Legacy Award”.

The “Edward Urquhart Leaving A Legacy Award” is bestowed on someone based on their outstanding effort in improving their skill, ideals of sportsmanship, and their dedication and significant contributions to growing the sport of ParaGolf in their community. 

I would like to congratulate the 2022 “Edward Urquhart Leaving A Legacy Award” winner, Dustin Boydell. 

Life can change in an instant. That’s what happened to Dustin Boydell on February 14, 2018.

It was on this day that Dustin had to have emergency back surgery to remove an infection in his spine that compressed his spinal cord and left him completely paralyzed from the waist down.  When he woke up from surgery he was told he may never walk again. 

Golf was a huge part of Dustin’s teenage years and was almost something he pursued after graduation with being a 2 handicap. When the injury happened he was sure he would never golf again. The first two years after the injury, Dustin swung a club once or twice, and he felt so weak that it was depressing. He put his clubs in the garage and he didn’t look at them anymore.

After years of intense physiotherapy and rehabilitation in attempts to walk again, in May of 2021 with the support of his physiotherapists, golf was integrated as part of his therapy. 

Now, even though Dustin does not have any feeling in the bottoms of his feet which inhibits balance and weight distribution which is an integral component of the golf swing, Dustin is now a member of Chilliwack Golf Club and playing to a 6.2 handicap index. Dustin also hopes to lower his handicap enough to challenge the Canadian PGA’s Playing Ability Test and potentially become a PGA teaching professional to develop training specifically for disabilities. 

With the consent support of his wife, Brittany, daughter Brook and son Oliver, Dustin now is a huge advocate for ParaGolf Canada in BC Lower Mainland and we are proud to not only have Dustin as a member but an ambassador for the ParaGolf Canada National Program.

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