BILLINGS — Brandy Peterson says chipping is the best part of her golf game. At least on some days — much like the rest of us.
She'll even offer advice.
"Just kind of go slow, like a pendulum," Peterson said while recently demonstrating her technique near the practice green at Lake Hills Golf Course in Billings.
Peterson has been involved with Special Olympics of Montana for as long as she can remember.
“Forty years … I started when I was 8 years old,” she said.
So, one can imagine over four decades the number of Special Olympics events to which she’s gravitated.
“Basketball," she said, "track and field — 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash — cross country skiing, snow shoeing, swimming …” And the list went on and on as she continued.
But what Peterson is also doing weighs in with far more importance. As part of the Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Program, she’s advocating for fellow Olympians to stay in better shape.
“Exercising, eating better and drinking more water,” are a few of her simple encouragements.
As a leader, Peterson has twice now been to Washington D.C.
“The first trip was for the health messenger training in 2018. Then the second trip was Capitol Hill Days for Special Olympics,” she recalled with fond memories.
Here in Billings, she’s now part of the management team for Special Olympics State Games this year and for the next two.
On the golf course, Peterson is one of only five Special Olympians in the Billings area able to play on her own without a unified partner. She’ll typically play about three holes but recently went nine in competition, earning second- and third-place ribbons.
Peterson and her golf group rotate local courses weekly mostly for fun, but always eager to sharpen skills. In this case, it's one chip at a time.
