Richie Willis was given just a 10% chance of survival after a devastating lorry accident on the old Severn Bridge. Twenty-seven years later, the Welshman is preparing to strike the first tee shot at golf's prestigious G4D Open—one of the premier events for golfers with disabilities, featuring many of the world's finest players.

For Willis, now 68, simply being in the field is nothing short of remarkable. The accident, which occurred on December 22, 1999, was caused by what was later deemed a freak gust of wind that sent the articulated lorry he was driving onto its side and into the central reservation. "I remember it all like it was yesterday," Willis recalls. "After the impact I was on my back looking up thinking 'I've got away with this.' Then I lifted my head up and saw that my leg was completely gone."

His injuries extended far beyond the loss of his leg. A severely damaged arm and a lacerated liver—what he calls his "worst injury"—required 40 pints of blood to keep him alive on the operating table. "They came to me afterwards and said they had given me a 10% chance," he says. "They said 'obviously you wanted to live and that's why you are still here.'"

After spending five months in hospital, Willis was determined to reclaim his life. Barely a year after returning home, he was back holding a golf club—the sport he had taken up at age 35 after retiring from a semi-professional football career that included a stint at Newport County AFC. Before the accident, his golf handicap was 11. Remarkably, he now plays off a six. "I am really proud of that," he says with a smile. "Golf has meant everything to me."

This week, Willis is on familiar territory. A member at Celtic Manor for 25 years, he will have the honor of hitting the opening tee shot at the G4D Open—a tournament that showcases the incredible talent and resilience of golfers with disabilities from around the world. For anyone who loves the game, his story is a powerful reminder that golf is truly a sport for everyone, no matter the odds.