World Class experience for local disc golfer

By Casandra Turnbull

When Shelley KingmaKitchen adopted a Covid hobby, little did she know that a few years later she would be representing her country at the Amateur World Masters competition.

In July, Kingma-Kitchen travelled to Flagstaff, Arizona to compete in the Disc Golf Amateur World Masters in the FA50 division. It was an experience she says she will never forget.

“I was able to meet disc golf hall of famers, a few professional players and I played with women from the USA, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and Estonia. I had so much fun,” said KingmaKitchen.

Not only did she have fun, but she also finished 13th overall – and amazing feat for someone who taught herself the game by chance after checking out the Paris course with her wife Linda during the pandemic.

Kingma-Kitchen also competed in a skills competition where she placed third in the long-distance throwing event.

“Funny story, my first throw I decided to throw my Glidey disc but forgot on my follow through that’s what I had in my hand. I spanked it into out of bounds finding the only water hole in Arizona. It’s still swimming,” said KingmaKitchen She went on to place fourth in skill shots (maybe not that one that’s still swimming!) and sixth in putting.

Kingma-Kitchen explains the experience was second to none, especially since competitors were playing in 140-degree Fahrenheit weather To make it more challenging, there were several elevation changes ranging from 7,000 feet to 10,500 feet at the highest points and the courses were filled with lava rock. Another memorable aspect was the opportunity to be the flag bearer for Canada.

“What an honour and a true experience,” she said.

Kingma-Kitchen was invited to compete on the world stage following last year’s stellar season She was ranked # 1 in the female amateur 50+ year division, and ranked 7th globally, and boasted an impressive rating of 760. She won four tournaments, including the Niagara Women’s Global Event held in St. Catharines August of 2022.

What’s next for Shelley? She’ll be competing, by invitation, in the Disc Golf Masters Tour Finale in Marion North Carolina next month

Paris resident Shelley KingmaKitchen was the official flag bearer for Canada during the Disc Golf Amateur World Masters in Flagstaff, Arizona this past July. Above, she’s pictured with her wife (who served as a caddy) during the competition. Shelley finished 13th in the World in the FA50 division.