A FUNDRAISING hero from Warwick was surprised with a thank you on national TV from golfing legend Nick Faldo.
Keen golfer Debbie White has a rare condition called Usher Syndrome that causes hearing and progressive vision loss, but that has not stopped her raising nearly half a million pounds over 30 years for Fight for Sight’s pioneering eye research.
As a result, the 60-year-old was selected for a televised One Big Thank You from Nick Faldo on BBC One’s The One Show on Thursday (October 9).
The setting for Debbie’s big surprise was The Betfred British Masters, hosted by Nick at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield. Nick was being interviewed on stage in front of a large crowd with Debbie initially oblivious sitting in the front row. The conversation on stage turned to golfers with sight loss and “a special lady who has raised a lot of money”. Debbie then realised they are talking about her.
Nick then invited Debbie to join him on stage, congratulated her on her fundraising and asked her about her sight loss and love of golf before presenting her with a special engraved golf club. He then shared with her video messages from her family, friends, the Fight for Sight team and One Show presenter Roman Kemp.
Nick said: “What Debbie has been doing is absolutely incredible and when The One Show asked me to play this little surprise on her, I jumped in.”
Debbie said after the surprise: “It was a massive day. Meeting Nick Faldo and being presented with the golf club and seeing all the videos of all the lovely messages from everyone. It was just wonderful. Thank you so much Fight for Sight and The One Show and to everyone involved.
“It was such a huge surprise, which was tough at the beginning as I like to know what’s going on. It meant so much to me and it will spur on my efforts to raise funds for vital eye research.”
As head of the Warwickshire Fight for Sight Committee, which is a volunteer role, Debbie has worked tirelessly to raise funds. As well as an Annual Golf Day, she has organised and taken part in sky dives, zip wires, cycling challenges, gala dinners and night walks.
Debbie is an avid golfer who played competitively with a handicap of 11 until her deteriorating eyesight caused her to pause playing. But with characteristic determination, Debbie has since joined England and Wales Blind Golf and won her first competition in April this year. She is also hoping to play in the Scandinavian Blind Golf Open next year.
