Bobbi Lancaster facts for kids

Bobbi Lancaster (born June 23, 1950) is an amazing person! She is a doctor, a champion golfer, an author, and someone who speaks up for human rights. She also gives inspiring talks to people.

Bobbi Lancaster's Early Life

Bobbi Lancaster was born on June 23, 1950, in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Her dad, Douglas Lorne Lancaster, was a World War II paratrooper. He later worked for the government. Bobbi's mom, Rosalie Clara Lancaster, grew up on a farm. She worked in a factory making uniforms.

Bobbi was the first of four children. Her family lived in Chatham until 1956. Then they moved to Ridgetown, a small town in Ontario. Young Bobbi was a great student. She was also good at all sports. She delivered newspapers and studied butterflies. She even served mass as an altar boy. Bobbi also learned to play the piano.

Her father, who was an excellent golfer, introduced her to the sport. He was on the board of the Ridgetown Golf and Curling Club. In 1960, the Lancasters moved to Hamilton, Ontario. Bobbi continued her piano studies there. She also worked as a caddy at Hamilton Golf and C.C. A caddy carries golf clubs for players. At age fourteen, she became the caddy champion! She went to Cathedral Boys High School. Bobbi dreamed of being a professional golfer, a biologist, a pianist, or even a priest.

Bobbi Lancaster's Medical Career

Bobbi Lancaster was a top student. She received a scholarship to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. There, she studied Biology from 1969 to 1972. She earned an Honor M for her excellent grades. She also captained the men's varsity golf team. They won two championships in 1972 and 1974.

In 1972, she was accepted into McMaster Medical School. She earned her M.D. degree in 1978. She finished her family medicine training in 1980. During this time, she was chosen as Chief Resident. Bobbi became certified as a family doctor. She practiced medicine in Hamilton until 1991.

As a family doctor, she helped people of all ages. She provided care for children and helped with surgeries. She also visited patients in their homes and in the hospital. From 1981 to 1991, she taught medical students and new doctors. In 1986, she was nominated as the Canadian Family Practice Teacher of the Year. She also volunteered a lot in her community. She served on many hospital committees. She was also on the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Catholic Children's Aid Society. She became president in 1984.

In 1991, Lancaster moved to Phoenix, Arizona. She became certified to practice medicine there. She opened her own family practice. She continued to teach new doctors at St. Joseph's Hospital. In 2001, she took a break from her medical work for personal reasons. During this time, she volunteered at places like the Phoenix Art Museum and the Phoenix Zoo. Later, Bobbi went back to her medical career. She became the medical director for Advanced Healthcare of Mesa and Scottsdale. These places help people recover after surgery or illness. She also became a medical director with Hospice of the Valley.

Bobbi Lancaster's Golf Achievements

Bobbi Lancaster was excellent at golf from a young age. When she was just 11, she won a caddy tournament. She beat older teens in the competition. She also qualified for the Ontario Caddy Championship. In high school, she led the Cathedral Boys varsity team to many wins. She won junior tournaments and interclub matches. She was also part of the CANUSA Games golf team.

In her late teens and twenties, Bobbi won many club championships at Chedoke. She also played in several Canadian and Ontario Amateur Championships. She even competed in the Ontario Open, which is a professional event. As mentioned, she led the McMaster University Men's Varsity Golf Team to two championships.

When she started her medical career in 1980, she joined Hamilton Golf and C.C. She quickly became the club champion. She also won the Sclater Bowl three times. She successfully represented the club in team matches. After moving to Phoenix, she played on the Western States Tour in 1997. She won a professional event at Palm Valley Golf Course. In 2008, she became the Senior Club Champion at Superstition Mountain Golf Club.

In 2012, Bobbi had more free time. She started playing golf with new energy. She got permission from the USGA to compete as a female golfer. She quickly won the Papago Club Championship. She beat some of the best players in Arizona. After several more wins, there were discussions about fairness due to her past playing history. To address this, Bobbi decided to become a professional golfer in 2013. She played on the Cactus Tour against elite players much younger than her. She had some success. She also helped change the Cactus Tour's rules about who could play.

Then, Bobbi tried to qualify for the LPGA Tour in 2013. This is a major professional golf tour for women. She did not fully qualify. But she did gain conditional status on the Symetra Tour. Other life events later changed her golf plans. She became an amateur golfer again in 2016. Bobbi still plays sometimes. She represented Papago Golf Course in matches in 2017. She is also once again their club champion.

Bobbi Lancaster in the Media

When Bobbi Lancaster became a professional golfer at 63, her story got attention worldwide. It started when a sports writer heard about her playing on the Cactus Tour. This led to a big article about her golf dreams, her life, and her work as a doctor. The story was picked up by news outlets across the country. The writer was even nominated for a Sports Emmy.

After that, stories about Bobbi appeared in Canadian newspapers, Huffington Post, USA Today, and on Good Morning America. She agreed to interviews with many different media groups. These included TMZ Sports and the Golf Channel. The Golf Channel even made a documentary about her life. Other documentaries were made by Cronkite News, Sports Illustrated, and the Human Rights Campaign.

Bobbi Lancaster's Advocacy Work

Because of all the media attention, Bobbi Lancaster became a well-known figure. She has been asked to give educational and inspiring speeches. She has spoken to students at many universities and colleges. She has also spoken to groups like Phoenix Valley Leadership.

Bobbi's work to raise awareness about human rights issues caught the attention of the Human Rights Campaign. She received their 2015 Equality Award. Her acceptance speech, known as the "Humpty Dumpty" speech, can be found on YouTube. In 2016, she was elected to their national Board of Directors. She has worked very hard for them. She has spoken to lawmakers in Washington D.C. and in Arizona.

Bobbi has also participated in a White House Summit. She has attended town hall meetings. She has also helped support candidates who believe in equality for all people. She has partnered with other groups like One Community and One n Ten. She works to promote acceptance and equality. She also speaks up on her own as a private citizen. In 2015, Bobbi Lancaster was also elected to Echo Magazine's Hall of Fame.