Renee Powell receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Greater Cleveland Sports Awards

CLEVELAND — One word Renee Powell's father always emphasized was "opportunity."

If Bill Powell was alive today, he would agree that she has seized each and every one.

Powell was honored Tuesday when she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. As the first woman recipient of the award, the Canton native joins a group that includes Jim Brown, Bob Feller, Bernie Kosar and Ted Ginn Sr.

Powell became the second African American to play on the LPGA Tour in 1967. Two decades earlier, Bill Powell opened East Canton's Clearview Golf Club, the first integrated golf course.

"When I think about lifetime achievement awards, they're not given because one person has achieved everything on their own," Powell told the audience at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. "It's because one has had a team at many stages of their life.

"I have to thank God for giving me the talents in golf. I have to thank my dad for developing those talents. I must thank my mom for always encouraging me and my brothers for making all the sacrifices they made in order for me to achieve the things I have in my sport."

Powell played her first golf tournament at age 12 at Cuyahoga County's Seneca Golf Club. Her dad wanted her to play in the tournament's women's division so she would have competition instead of in a junior tournament in Dayton the same week.

When Powell reached the third hole, she quickly found out what she was up against.

"These ladies who were the ages of my parents were speaking to each other loud enough for me to hear and said 'We need to throw her in that lake,'" Powell said. "I'm like 'Oh, my gosh. You can't throw me in a lake. I can't swim.'"

Then Powell remembered what her dad always said about competing.

"When you get them one down, get them two down," Powell said. "When you get them two down, get them three down. That's what I kept remembering as I was playing. I learned very quickly what competition was all about."

Powell won the tournament. The women who were not kind to her eventually accepted her.

"They ended up being some of my greatest fans over the years," Powell said.

Since her LPGA career ended, Powell has dedicated her life to diversifying golf and inclusion in the game. The Clearview pro also continues to give back to society, a lesson she learned from her mother Marcella.

Powell calls her Clearview HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program her most rewarding. Launched in 2011, it is a cost-free, year-round therapeutic and recreational golf program specifically for women veterans.

"That's one of the programs that is very dear to my heart," Powell said. "It's probably the most significant program I've ever done."

Powell emphasized that she won't be the last woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. She ended her acceptance speech with a strong message to the younger audience.

"Be strong in your faith," Powell said. "Always give your best. Never allow anyone to define you as an individual. Always keep a positive attitude. Set your goals very, very high."

Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Golf pro Renee Powell honored at Greater Cleveland Sports Awards