(1888PressRelease)
November 05, 2007 - Loudon, TN – On a recent fall afternoon on the driving range of Toqua Golf Course in Tellico Village, aspiring professional golfer Anestis Giantsios consistently hit drives in excess of 300 to 340 yards. Nestled among the foothills of the Smoky Mountains on Tellico Lake in Loudon, TN is the new home of the Giantsios family who relocated from Florida just last month to allow Anestis to pursue his dream. With the blessing of his wife and children, they moved themselves from the thriving, active lifestyle of suburban West Palm Beach to the quiet, rural life.
“This has been Nesti’s dream for nearly as long as we’ve been married,” says his wife, Cheryl. “Somehow life has always gotten in the way. We’ve decided that we no longer choose to put this off. It has become the focal point of our life together; the whole family’s lives.”
Like so many before him, Anestis knows of the dedication, drive, and focus, as well as skill, that will be necessary to achieve this dream. Unlike most of those before him, he is by most standards “too old” to become a PGA tour player – he will turn 42 before the end of 2007. He and his wife have three children: Kira, 16; Ariel, 14; and Darius, 9.
“Kira’s only two years away from college,” laments Anestis, “with Ariel not too far behind.” While all of the Giantsios children do extremely well in school, they aren’t guaranteed scholarships, and as any parent of a college student can attest, education doesn’t come cheap.
The Giantsios’ have given themselves 6 months to one year for Anestis to practice, enter into tournaments, and otherwise hone his skills. Golf is a daily topic of conversation at the dinner table, Golf Channel is often on the television, and golf equipment is littered around their home. Anestis and Darius often have putting challenges on the living room carpet.
“Ariel wrote a poem for me entitled “The Infernal Greens”, Anestis boasted. “She captured the true spirit of the game. I had her print it out with a photo of a golf course so I can look at it every day.” That framed verse sits on the living room bookshelf, a daily reminder of how achieving their goal will not be easy.
The most difficult part of the journey may well be the financial sacrifice the family will make in order to make this dream a reality. Food, shelter, clothing and golf will be priorities without the steady, solid income Anestis recently made in South Florida as the VP of Operations for an HVAC company.
Anestis and his family are hoping that they can convince investors and sponsors to look at his natural talents and back the long shot. With the athletic ability and almost eerie drive Anestis consistently displays, the odds are good any potential gamblers would win, and win big.
