In this DD Women’s Series, we’ve been getting to know Missy Gannon, an East Coast native who spread her wings to Colorado, only to find a passion for disc golf and a supportive community around the sport. After becoming immersed in her local club and spending time honing her skills, the idea of venturing out on the road as a touring pro started to get more and more exciting.
Part 3 of this series sheds some light on how Missy decided to take the leap to play disc golf full-time and how she’s making up for lost years. Let’s jump right in!
Changing Plans
When Missy and her fiancé decided to move to Colorado, there was never any inkling in their minds that they would fall in love with disc golf. But after playing more and more regularly and growing their game, the thought of it becoming a job became more of a reality. “There was no original plan to leave Colorado and the booming disc golf scene there,” she said.However, around the holiday season of 2017, Missy began to feel like she needed to make a change. Noting that there are so many up and coming players who are just entering into adulthood, Missy’s age started to play a factor in her decision making. “I thought ‘man, I’m 28 now and I’ll be 29 in March. It’s kind of like now or never.’”
Thinking It Through
Gannon didn’t jump on tour right away in 2018, and it actually took a good six months or so for her to feel confident in her decision. “It was the combination of ‘I like my job’ but I wasn’t in love with it, my fiancé is in construction so he was pretty transplantable, and we weren’t super tied to Colorado other than deciding to move out there,” she explained.Making sure they could afford it was another endeavor, and as Missy didn’t want to have to rely on cashing at events to ensure their tour was sustainable, they had to make sure they had enough saved up before they hit the road. Going back to their love of the outdoors, the pair realized that if they camped instead of paid for lodging and really stuck to a minimal lifestyle, they could make it work.
“Being uncomfortable isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you can be comfortable with the discomfort. You can’t live the same way you did before,” she says about going on tour. As much of the latter portion of the season is based in the Northeastern area of the country, they will be able to visit their home base in New York and make things work, at least for the time being.
We’ve seen Missy perform exceptionally well so far in just the few months that she’s been a full-time player, and we’re excited to see what the rest of the season has in store. Be sure to check back with us for the final part in our series to learn about her long-term plans for 2019 and beyond.
