TRAUMATIC ACCIDENT LEADS TO NEW PASSION
BY CASSANDRA GLOVER
RAY WHITE COMMERCIAL TRADECOAST AGENT JAY JONES NEVER EXPECTED TO GET INTO REAL ESTATE OR GOLF BUT , AFTER A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE HIS LEFT ARM , JAY WAS TAKEN ON A JOURNEY WHICH LED HIM TO TWO NEW PASSIONS .
In 2015 , while working in the coal mining industry as a fourth year apprentice heavy diesel mechanic , Jay was working with a more experienced tradesman to replace the tyres on the site ’ s new dump trucks when a fault in the last rim caused the tyre to explode .
“ My colleague was killed instantly and I was thrown approximately 10 metres across the workshop floor and had catastrophic injuries to my left arm ,” Jay said .
“ The air pressure had also blown the majority of my clothes off along with my protective eye wear and hard hat which was later found approximately 75m away .
“ I spent around seven weeks in hospital undergoing more than 15 surgical procedures , initially attempting to save my arm , and later amputating .”
During his first year back at home , while undergoing rehab , Jay was struggling with his mental health following the incident , and wasn ’ t yet back in the workforce . That ’ s when he discovered golf .
“ My brother took me to the driving range one day and I soon realised golf was going to be a sport that I could play to some degree ,” he said .
“ Initially it started as a method of distraction . I found that whenever I was at the driving range , I was only really thinking about golf and the traumatic flashbacks of the incident weren ’ t taking over my mind .
“ It was a method of therapy and gave me something else to focus on .”
The following years were big ones for Jay as he joined Queensland ' s amputee golf community , and played his first game in 2016 , as well as joining the Ray White Commercial TradeCoast team in 2017 .
“ I had never really expected to get into golf or real estate ; they just happened due to a moment in time , there were no real plans in place ,” he said .
“ It ’ s an exciting time for golfers with disabilities as some of the larger professional tours have opened up to the inclusivity of golf and offer smaller fields of disabled golfers the opportunity to play alongside the pros in the events .”
Jay held the world number one spot in the amputee golf competition for the 18 + handicap division in 2019 , and has since moved into the 0-18 handicap division . Prior to some health issues earlier this year , he was in the top 100 golfers with disabilities worldwide .
“ My main goal in golf is to qualify for the Australian All Abilities which is played alongside the Australian Open . A top 50 position in the world rankings will give me a great shot at this ,” he said .
He said the accident and his experiences since had given him an appreciation for the smaller things in life .
“ There is nothing like a near death experience to help bring clarity and perspective to your life ,” Jay said .
“ I have tried to make the most of each experience and opened myself up to trying things that I would have never given a second thought prior to the accident .
“ I am currently in the process of building a new business that focuses on building a better mindset around workplace safety and will involve visiting the mine sites across Australia and sharing my story with the workers .”
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