How a round of golf changed Thomas Gilbert's life forever

How a round of golf changed Thomas Gilbert’s life forever

Jacob Goldbach

This article has been repurposed from November of 2018.

Thomas Gilbert was an avid athlete in high school.

He was on the track, snowboarding, and badminton teams. However, over the past few years, it’s been another sport that has piqued his interest. Disc golf.

It all started in October 2015. Thomas was playing a round of golf with his friend Tyler Norris.

“He and I were playing poorly, to say the least,” said Tyler, about the day. “We were grinding out the round when I asked him if he’d ever played disc golf. He said he never had other than maybe once with a regular Frisbee at camp, so I suggested we go out later that week.”

Thomas was enticed by the idea.

“He knew I liked playing Ultimate Frisbee,” said Thomas, about the suggestion. “So he brought me out to the disc golf course.”

So Thomas and Tyler headed out to the course for the first time, and Thomas loved it. Not only did he love it, but he was also gifted.

“At the end of the round,” said Tyler, “he threw one disc that was a line drive right into the trees above the basket 270 yards away. This was an incredibly far throw and showed just how much talent he had.”

Thomas was fascinated by the sport, and he wanted to play as much as he could. In fact, he would even play during school hours.

“It was something me and Tyler would do,” said Thomas. “We would practice on the fields at lunches.”

Thomas was hooked.

“I continually got better,” he added. “I realized this was something I can do.”

Thomas started competing in local events, and he was winning with regularity. Now, he just needed someone to usher him into the competitive landscape. That’s when he met Henrik Londen.

Londen was a professional disc golf player in the 1990s. Now, at 53 years of age, he coaches, with Thomas being one of his athletes.

“Henrik showed me some techniques,” said Thomas about Londen. “He showed me the more professional side of the game.”

Thomas has taken Londen’s advice and put it to good use. Since joining the Professional Disc Golf Association he has won 12 events and accumulated over $7000, climbing the ranks as a young professional.

“Thomas has a work ethic like no other players,” said Londen, when asked about what separates Thomas from other players. “He is practicing every day regardless of the conditions he faces.”

Along with Londen, Thomas’s parents have also been extremely encouraging.

“I was supportive,” said Thomas’s mom, Susan, when asked about how she first reacted when Thomas told her he wanted to pursue disc golf. “Because Thomas really enjoyed playing, and continually improved through practice and competition. He created his own path.”

Since he became a professional in 2016, Thomas hasn’t skipped a beat and continues to train rigorously. His goal: to win the Canadian National Championship in 2019. And with Thomas possessing one of the best backhand throws in the sport, including the furthest in Canada, this is a real possibility.

“I’m pretty close,” said Thomas about the event. “As long as no Americans come and try to steal the title, I should be able to achieve it.”

From throwing discs while walking around the neighbourhood, to getting in practice at lunchtime, Thomas never could have never seen his career getting to the point it is at now.

“I was thinking about it a bit near the end of high school,” he said. “But I didn’t think I’d ever be travelling around North America, playing in the highest-level tournaments with the best players in the world.”

It’s amazing what a simple round of golf with a friend can lead to.