Photo of “MasterChef” winner Christine Ha (courtesy ABC News)
For those of you that watch reality TV or are an avid fan of our blog, you may already know about Christine Ha’s incredible story. A contestant on Master Chef, a reality TV show featuring TV culinary expert Gordon Ramsay, Christine not only became the first legally blind contestant on the show, but also the first legally blind contestant to WIN Master Chef!
In an interview with Nightline, Christine even commented on how she thought many people discounted her: “I think there are a lot of people who completely discounted me,” Ha told Nightline. “They think I’m there as a TV gimmick for ratings. People will say, ‘What is she doing? Is she going to cut her finger off?’ But I cook at home for years without vision, so if I can do it at home, I don’t see why I can’t prove to everyone else I can do it on national TV.”
Christine lost her vision about five years ago due to an auto-immune disease that attacks the optic nerves. Today she says that she can see only shadows and compares her vision to coming out of a hot shower and looking into a steamy mirror.
Throughout the show, Gordon Ramsay continued to be amazed by Christine’s culinary expertise. With the help of her aid Cindy (who didn’t cut or taste Christine’s food), Ha was able to reach the pinnacle of the Master Chef season 3 final by sticking to what she knows best, Vietnamese comfort food. Her final dish included crab vegetable salad, braised pork belly, and a coconut lime sorbet.
Please join us in congratulating Christine on this amazing accomplishment and breaking down the barriers of perception in our society. Congratulations Christine!
To read more, head on over to ABC News or watch the video below:
