On a bright sunny day, Todd Landfried and Hope Kittel are playing a round of golf — something that brings them great joy.
Being out on the green is a major milestone for the pair, as there was a time when golfing seemed like an impossible dream. Landfried lost his ability to walk after a snowmobiling accident in February of 2022.
"We took a turn, and unfortunately when I accelerated to go on the straightaway, my sled went to the right, caught a tree, and I went airborne into the tree headfirst," he told Scripps News Milwaukee.
Given a second chance at life, Landfried is now determined to get back to the things he loves and he's helping others along the way.
"It’s about helping others like Hope get back out on the golf course and enjoy the games they used to enjoy," he said.
Landfried started the Stand Up and Play Foundation eastern Wisconsin chapter a few months ago. It's a nonprofit that provides wheelchair users and others with impaired mobility the opportunity to engage in recreational activities by using a mobility device called the VertaCat.
The VertaCat is an all-terrain mobility rider that helps elevate those who are paralyzed to a standing position, allowing them to play the game of golf.
"It gives us the ability to go into the tee box, and the green, and putt—things like that, just like if you were an able golfer," Landfried said.
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Although this piece of machinery helps the golfers physically, mentally it also provides a renewed sense of independence, confidence, and joy.
"It’s great physical exercise for someone who is handicapped or disabled, and mentally there are just immense benefits from a psychological standpoint," Landfried said.
While out on the green, Kittel couldn't stop smiling. She's had a love for golf since she was a child and even won a state title with her high school team. However, Kittel says she has struggled with health issues throughout her life, and things took a dramatic turn in March of 2023.
"A pretty devastating neurological event — that took my ability to talk, swallow, breathe, write," she said.
The devastating health condition took her ability to walk, but not her determination or willpower.
"It’s been long," Kittel said. "It’s slow progress, but I’ve come a long way from where I was."
Now she is getting back to enjoying her passion with the VertaCat and through the Stand Up and Play Foundation.
"I don’t think a disability should be a reason to not be able to do things," Kittel said. "So when there’s incredible things like this, I think getting the word out, getting people access to it is so important because the joy it brings me—I hope we can get other people to use it to bring them the same joy,"
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"It’s gonna make me cry again," said Jodi Kittel, Hope's mother. "It was just amazing to see her and just look like she did, you know, and her swing is still there, and that smile comes out on her face to be out here too."
Her daughter added that she would love to see others with mobility issues have access to the VertaCat in the future.
"That would be incredible because everybody deserves access to something like this," Kittel said.
And that’s why Landfried is working to partner with golf courses in eastern Wisconsin, hoping to get more VertaCats to help others enjoy the game.
"If you’re given another opportunity in life, which I was, one of the things that I realize is that you really do need to reach out and try to help those that are in a similar position," Landfried said.
The VertaCat Kittel uses is just a loaner, but there is a GoFundMe to help get her one of her own, so she can continue to go out and golf.
This story was originally published by Adriana Mendez at Scripps News Milwaukee.
