Sports legends scramble for Bill Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic

Sports legends scramble for Bill Johnson Celebrity Golf ClassicBETHLEHEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Bode Miller, “Crazy Canuck” Dave Irwin and former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee joined 1984 gold medalist Bill Johnson on Sept. 6 at the Bethlehem Country Club for the first Bill Johnson Golf Classic. The event attracted 17 teams of four and raised money for the Bill Johnson Foundation for Brain Injury Awareness.

With his brother Chelone on his team, Miller’s foursome finished third, 11 under par with a 59. The Crotched Mountain Foundation, an organization that provides rehabilitation, education and other services to people with disabilities, won the event, just two strokes ahead of Miller’s team.

“We had some good shots,” Miller said in his usual understated style.

Miller had invited Johnson and his childhood friend Harold Burbank to the 2006 BodeFest at Bretton Woods in May. Johnson and Burbank stopped by the Bethlehem Country Club after the event and were invited to play by Ned Johnson, the club’s special events coordinator. “I came up with the idea of having a benefit [for Johnson’s foundation] here,” Johnson said. “We’re calling it the first annual Bill Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic.”

Most of Miller’s family participated in the golf scramble, thanks in part to its location just a few miles from their home near Franconia, N.H. But they also feel strongly about brain injury awareness since Chelone’s motorcycle accident on Oct. 6, 2005.

“It hits a little closer to home with my brother having his injury,” Miller said. “But we’d always support something like this.”

Chelone is doing well, Miller reported. “He has no ill effects.”

Chelone is one of the lucky ones though. Both Johnson and Irwin suffered severe brain injuries as a result of their ski accidents in 2001. In a twist of fate, the two crashed within 24 hours of each other, Johnson while trying to make a comeback at Big Mountain, Montana, for the 2002 Olympics and Irwin in a skiercross race at Sunshine Village, Alberta. Irwin raced on the World Cup from 1971-82, winning the downhill in Schladming, Austria, in 1975. He also raced in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.

Both men have made what appear to be miraculous recoveries. But with brain injuries, looks can be deceiving. Irwin has lost his short-term memory, as well as chunks of his longer-term memory, and coherent sentences often trail off with a resigned “whatever.” Johnson has no memory of nine years of his life, among other issues.

But both can still ski and play golf. When asked if he can still ski like he used to, Johnson replied, “Well, no, only because I don’t think I could win another gold.”

As for golf, Johnson claimed, “I used to be a 2 handicap before my accident, now I have a card that says I’m a 16.” His team, which also included Burbank and John Creel, a former ski racing friend who was coaching Johnson during his comeback in 2001, finished 3-under par.

DB Johnson, Bill’s mother, says brain injury has few cheerleaders and described the struggle she had finding the help and resources necessary to care for her brain-injured son. Burbank started the Bill Johnson Foundation to support both Johnson and others suffering from brain injuries. “No way am I going to let [Bill] become a memory,” Burbank said when asked why he started the foundation. “We’ll become as big as the world will help us become. We’re asking for help. … This is our take-off event. We hope to build a network of these events.”

In Canada, Irwin and his wife, Lynne Harrison, started the Dave Irwin Foundation for Brain Injury. But Irwin said they are changing the name to brain recovery, since that better describes the brain injured. The foundation raises funds for brain-injury awareness and prevention primarily through its annual Dash for Cash, a ski race held at Sunshine Village.

“Dave always says prevention is the best cure,” Harrison said.

For more information on these two charity organizations for brain-injury awareness, go to www.thebilljohnsonfoundation.org and www.daveirwinfoundation.org.