Blind Golfer Mentors Others With Vision Challenges
SEDALIA, Colo. (CBS4)- A golfer that lost almost all of his vision as an adult was back on the course again on Thursday supporting Anchor Center for Blind Children at their annual golf classic and inspiring young children that are visually impaired.
"I was a normal kid, I could see everything working until I was 30," said Brad Basta, 48, a returning golfer to the ForeSight Golf Classic at Sanctuary Golf Course. "To me it was just another obstacle."
Basta started golfing after high school but once he lost his vision, he stopped for 15 years. He says he was a diabetic his whole life and after a car accident he became almost completely blind. But Basta was determined to get back to playing golf.
"I have nothing in the right eye, it's completely black," he explained. "In the left eye, it is like looking at a donut, I can see the donut but everything in the middle and on the outside of the donut is blank."
Anchor Center for Blind Children benefits from the charity event and has hosted it at Sanctuary for more than 20 years. It is a major fundraiser for the nonprofit that helps young children and their parents prepare for everyday life including school without complete vision. One of the families that benefited from the Center spoke to golfers attending the event before they hit the course.
"When I was born, I was diagnosed with microphthalmia and my parents were really worried," said Claire Naumer, 10. "Anchor Center gave them a lot of hope."
Naumer's condition where one or both eyes do not develop fully and are smaller than normal. Her father was there to talk about how the Center helped him support his daughter. Naumer graduated from the program at the Center and now enjoys attending school and outdoor activities on a weekly basis.
"I'm blind out of my left eye and I can see out of my right eye a little bit," she explained.
She can ski with her family thanks to bright blue pants her father wears when they are on the slopes.
She has also played soccer with the help of a bright yellow ball and her teammates yelling out commands or plays for her. She even enjoys swimming because her memory helps her to remember where the walls are in the pool and the length of the lanes.
"We didn't know what to expect with her vision issues," said Chic Naumer, Claire's father. "Anchor Center really just brought so much hope into our lives and support in our lives."
Basta has participated in the Classic for five years and says he has found some advantages to playing golf with impaired vision. He joked that he doesn't have to look at the ball or worry about where it lands. His friends will tell him what direction to hit and give him guidance on distance as they play from one hole to the next on a given course.
"I always love coming out here," Basta said of the event. "I took my vision for granted; I relied on my vision and only my vision."
The Naumers were excited to see Basta on the course and learn more about his life. Basta owns his own business and as a married man as well as a homeowner, he is proud to support his family. He says that after he became partially blind, he was determined to make sure he was more than just a statistic.
"Once I lost my vision, it made me stop and think about life and things I wanted to do and the goals I had set," said Basta.
Both father and daughter say they are inspired by his story and are grateful to meet people like him. It is another reason why the family gives its time to support the Anchor Center.
"They really taught us to focus on what she can do and what her potential is, rather than what her deficits are," Naumer said about his time taking his daughter to the Center. "People that have a disability such as being visually impaired just have so much potential."
Basta says he was glad to see children dealing with the loss of vision much earlier in life than he did can learn from his example. He says resources like the Anchor Center and other nonprofits that help the visually impaired later in life are so crucial to showing what is possible for their community.
"If there is something they really want to do, then they shouldn't let that discourage them because they can't see," he said.
LINK: Anchor Center for Blind Children
Shawn Chitnis reports for CBS4 News at 10 on weekends and CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the week. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
