Thank You, Tiger Woods!

In the past 8 years, I've been looking for a fun activity so my little warrior can enjoy life to the fullest while living with sickle cell disease. When you have sickle cell disease it can be very challenging to find a sport that fits your needs and that doesn't cause a crisis.

Kids just want to have fun!

When she was younger we tried different things; swimming, kids' Zumba, gymnastics, dancing, judo, and a lot more. But after all the trials I saw her struggling with pain or tiredness. She loves swimming and dancing a lot, but it makes her so sick. Physical activities are triggering a pain crisis.

At a certain point, I started to bring her to a spa where she was able to play in the jacuzzi with warm water. She enjoyed it and we had a lot of fun. But as she grew older the jacuzzi started to get too small for her. It was a challenge to find a sport or other activity where she could make new friends, socialize and enjoy doing something that she loves.

Thank you Tiger Woods!

A couple of weeks ago she came home from school and we were having lunch at the dinner table when out of the blue she said: "Mommy, I want to play golf!" I was surprised and happy because I saw the sparkles in her eyes that she really wanted to play golf. That same night I started to look for nice golf places in our area and I fell in love with PopStroke Orlando. This is 10 minutes from my house, so if she really likes it, it means she can go whenever she wants.

That same weekend we decided to go golfing. PopStroke is such an amazing place and OMG the founder of PopStroke, Greg Bartoli, Tiger Woods, and their teams made sure that they made golf a sport to fall in love with. The setup, the people who are working there, the vibes, the music, and the food! It is a safe place where time flies and you don't even notice it.

When you walk inside the golf area you see a beautiful picture of Tiger Woods with an amazing text: "Some of my happiest memories are spending time with my pops on the golf course having putting contests,” said Woods. “I’m looking forward to others enjoying time with their kids at PopStroke.

This is a new way for individuals to experience the game of golf. It’s about bringing people together.” People like Tiger Woods are creating safe places for kids without knowing how much impact they have, and how much they are changing lives. This place gives my daughter a happy heart and me as a mom hope!

Golf is home

Since we arrived my little princess felt like she was home. She has an amazing talent for golfing and she enjoys it with her whole heart. Every time that she hits a ball in the whole she looks so proud! When I look at her, I feel so proud and happy, because she can finally do something that she loves and enjoys. After every couple of minutes, we went to the cozy couches to relax, drink water, and go back.

Important is to make sure that our warriors are safe and have fun. Every time that we are going I'm planning ahead how we are going to spend the day, just to make sure that she is safe. Simple small things can keep her healthy while enjoying the game.

Always follow the rules

Normally our golfing days look like this:

• Going to PopStroke in the late afternoon/early evening, so the temperature is ok
• Resting during the day, so she is well rested and relaxed when we arrive
• Drinking enough water before, during, and after golfing
• Playing golf
• Relaxing and drinking water
• Playing golf
• Having diner
• Relaxing and drinking water
• Playing golf
• Relaxing and drinking water
• Going home

This is what works for us as a family. I hope that everyone finds something that works for them as well. Because our kids deserve to enjoy life to the fullest.

We need more of these safe places for our warriors, where they can play, feel free and laugh a lot!