A swing of hope: how golf helped Hellen Lunkuse heal, lead

At just 11 years old, Hellen Lunkuse’s life was violently and irreversibly shattered in the depths of a silent forest in Jinja. Alone, barefoot and carrying an empty jerrycan, she was ambushed and defiled by an elderly man in an act so cruel that it stole not only her innocence but her trust in people, especially men.

That single horrific moment could have defined and destroyed her. But three decades later, the same woman stands tall on the golf fairways with a club in one hand and purpose in the other.

Lunkuse is no longer just a victim, she’s a fighter, a leader, a healer and now the vice president of the Uganda Ladies Golfers Union (ULGU). She was elected to deputise the new president Rita Akol Apell for the period 2025/26 in the polls that took place at the ULGU's annual general meeting held at the Uganda Golf Club in March.

Trauma into purpose

Growing up with the weight of such a trauma was heavy. “I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t trust anyone. I shut out people, especially men,” she recalls. But amid the hurt, one thing kept her going: education.

She pushed herself through school, walking miles each day, until she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management at Makerere University. Yet, even then, the nightmares never left.

“After graduation, it hit me harder. It became a disease. I couldn’t pretend anymore. The past was chasing me.”

It was from this inner war that she founded the Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF), a sanctuary for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The organisation offers counselling, legal support and skills training. Over 500 survivors, mainly girls abandoned by families and women scarred by abuse, have walked through its doors.

“I felt like their story was mine. When I look at them, I see myself,” she says.

An unexpected lifeline

Yet, despite growing from strength to strength, Lunkuse lacked something very vital in leadership: character and confidence.

In 2018, Lunkuse joined the Junior Golf Club at Jinja Club not as a player but a quiet subscriber. “I never thought much of it. I wasn’t a sports person,” she laughs.

Everything changed in 2022, when she attended a club election meeting and noticed the panel was entirely male. “I stood up and asked: is golf only for men?”

That brave question didn’t just open the room, it opened a door for herself and others. She was nominated the games captain. Ironically, she had neither swung a club nor was taking any sports seriously.

Determined not to embarrass herself, she tried some sports and tennis but quickly ruled them out. She had ruled out swimming for reasons she gives later in this piece. “Golf was the only one left in my list, so I picked a club and never looked back.”

She fell in love with the sport’s demand for discipline and mental toughness, two factors that improved her public speaking, self-esteem and decion-making. “Golf is not just a game, it’s your daily life. It teaches you patience, character and confidence.”

Proudest moment

Last year Lunkuse shocked herself and many others as she emerged third in the gross bronze category of the KCB Jinja Ladies Open behind Peace Hellen and Joy Mirembe after scoring 157. Lunkuse had a terrible first day but she came back stronger on day two and posted the best score of the day. This, according to her, is her proudest moment in sports as she starts moving deeper into management and slowly bids farewell to the competitive phase.

“When they called my name, I was sure there’d been a mistake. It’s the beauty of golf that only one good stroke can save a bad day,” she says, smiling.

Championing women on the greens

Together with president Rita Appel, Lunkuse is working to bring more women and girls into the game and not as late as she arrived in the sport. Uganda’s women’s golf community remains small, with names like Peace Kabasweka, Martha Babirye, Flavia Namakula and Irene Nakalembe leading the pack but Lunkuse wants to cast the net wide.

“My job is to chair ladies' tournaments around the country and run junior clinics. We need to start them young, like the likes of Tiger Woods,” she says.

“In Kenya, they have so many elite and amateur women golfers but here, we are too few. We overstrain the few available players and need to widen the base,” she urges.

Healing through sport

For Lunkuse, golf isn’t just a game, it’s therapy.

“I used to avoid people, mistrust everyone and be defensive, but golf opened me up and made me trust again. It moulded me emotionally and socially,” she says.

She’s now incorporating golf into her advocacy. “We hold junior clinics and invite vulnerable kids, motivate them with books, equipment and pproviding a safe space. Sports empower survivors socially and financially. It gives them a voice.”

The dark side

Recently, there were media reports of girls and wwomenin rugby facing sexual abuse from their coaches but Lunkuse has experienced it firsthand. She is honest about the challenges female athletes face.

“We’re not doing enough to protect women in sports. Harassment is real. Culture stereotypes are still here,” she says.

Lunkuse fell for swimming in her formative years but something related to this vice altered everything.

She recalls quitting swimming because of an inappropriate touch by her coach, someone she had trusted so much with her innocence. Her previous memories were refreshed and forced to quit it altogether.

“He sent me messages at night but I wondered: “You’re my coach, not my friend and then tried a bad touch while in training. That’s where our culture fails by normalizing this nonsense.”

She advice to young girls: “Know who you are and have values. Be clear about your purpose and focus.”

Juggling work, sports, family

Balancing roles isn’t easy for Lunkuse who multitasks as a mother, activist and employer and now a leader in golf but she is anchored by structure, routine and teamwork.

“I plan everything. I delegate. Sundays are for family where we go to church, play games and enjoy dinner. I work late or rise early to finish tasks. It’s about discipline.”

At Rape Hurts Foundation, Lunkuse oversees and manages a team of 18 at and steers golf events, proving that indeed with focus, women can thrive in multiple demanding spaces.

Would she start a golf academy? “No,” she laughs. “But I’ll encourage girls whenever I can. In California (USA) last year, five families with Ugandan origin picked up golf because of me.”

Coming from Busoga region, and one that has been listed among the poorest in the country, Lunkuse advises focus to be shifted on the region’s rich talents.

She believes there’s untapped potential in Busoga. “Jinja is rich with beauty and talent but so few know about it. We need to promote golf here. We need to encourage more girls and women.

“Help us promote this game. And encourage companies to support us. Golf changed my life and it can change others too.”

Profile

Name: Hellen Lunkuse

D.o.B: July 28, 1984

Parents: Edward Waiswa Nadiope Naika (RIP) & Lilian Waiswa Tanyinga

Home district: Kamuli Municipality

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management, Bachelor’s Degree in Human Rights, Diploma in Law and Diploma in Gender Studies.

Quick-fire questions

Your favorite course? Serena, it’s so tough. last week I lost 10 balls there!

Your sports idol? Ronald Rugumayo.

If not golf? I’d play table tennis. I love it.