In the 1950’s and 1960’s there were between ten and twenty thousand “Thalidomide Babies” born after their mother’s took the drug to combat morning sickness. Butch Lumpkin is one of the approximately 5,000 survivors world-wide. Born with what he calls “short arms,” he really has what amounts to no functional arms at all. Three fingers extend from his left side in a flipper like manner, and his right arm ends before the elbow with three fingers that point backward toward his body. He is blessed with a natural athleticism that should help him negotiate the world as a disabled person. The thing is, Butch’s abilities far exceed that of you and me.
Born in Atlanta, GA, Butch lettered in Soccer at Chamblee High School and went on to letter in Soccer and Tennis at Mercer University. He began playing tennis at the age of 13 and had dreams in the back of his mind of becoming pro. At the age of six, in that very church, Butch gave his life to Christ. The seeds were planted in his young life that perhaps the very thing that challenged him the most, might give him the purpose many spend their entire lives trying to find. After college, tennis became his passion and he began working at the Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell, GA.
Once Butch earned his certification by the United States Professional Tennis Association, he became a full-time tennis pro at the club where he enjoyed a successful career – until, someone mentioned golf would be impossible for a man like Butch! Using a 63-inch driver, Butch is phenomenal at the sport. Today Butch travels around the country delivering a “faith-based” message and performing athletic demonstrations showing “nothing’s beyond reach” if a person sets their mind to it.
