Golf has always been part of 15-year-old Anna Weber’s life.
Growing up in Rock Port, Missouri, with a golf-loving family meant plenty of time around the course. So, when Anna decided she wanted to play on her high school golf team, it felt like a natural next step.
There was just one challenge to figure out: Anna sees at approximately 20/3000. She has lost her central and upper peripheral vision and sees best using her side peripheral vision, favoring her left.
Anna was diagnosed with CLN3 Batten disease at 9 years old. A change in the CLN3 gene causes the rare neurodegenerative disease and affects the function of cells throughout the body. There is currently no cure, and the disease can affect vision, memory and life expectancy.
But Anna has never been one to shy away from trying something new. Whether she’s picking up a golf club, meeting new people or thinking about her next adventure, she is determined to experience as much as she can along the way.
A Love of Golf Leads Anna to Outlook Enrichment
Earlier this year, Anna and her mom, Libby, were visiting a school for the blind in Nebraska City when they attended a presentation from Outlook Enrichment and learned about the Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic. For a teenager who had grown up around golf, it was music to Anna’s ears.
From February through May, Anna and Libby spent most Saturday mornings hopping in the car, turning up the music and making the drive to Omaha for practice.
There, Anna began working with Steve Blaskovich, an Outlook Nebraska board member who leads the clinic and has helped grow the program. Steve took the time to learn how Anna sees best and adapted his coaching to what worked for her. Using verbal cues, he helped Anna understand distance and how much power to put behind her swing. With practice, she began making more consistent contact with the ball.
For Anna, having her own clubs made the experience even better.
“I was excited to have my brother, Ethan, fit me for my clubs. It makes playing golf so much more fun to have my own things. I love to hit the driver. It is the one golf club you can hit far and hard! It is so much easier to get coaching advice from an Outlook coach than from my parents,” Anna shared.
But somewhere between the swings, laughs, and Saturday morning drives, Anna was also finding something she and Libby had been looking for: a community.
“As a mom, I sometimes wonder if there is a place in society for Anna. I get scared, nervous, and sad because she has goals, but I’ve only witnessed those things accomplished by people with vision. At Outlook Enrichment, the focus is not on the person’s disability but on building on their strengths. Sure, they asked how Anna sees best or what adjustments she might need, but that was not the main focus,” said Libby.
From the Blind Golfers Clinic to a Third-Place Finish with Team Outlook
All those Saturday mornings gave Anna opportunities to put her new skills into action.
She went on to play in Outlook Enrichment’s annual Tee It Up Fore Sight golf tournament, which quickly became one of her favorite experiences. It was a chance to take what she had practiced at the clinic onto the course while continuing to be involved in the Outlook community.
In August, Anna represented Outlook Enrichment and Outlook Nebraska during our first year participating in the RSM Putting Challenge as part of Youth Day at the Pinnacle Bank Championship. She teamed up with an experienced youth golfer from Elkhorn North and a Korn Ferry Tour professional.
Seventeen teams competed, and Team Outlook tied for third place, earning $6,300 for Outlook Enrichment. Those funds help us continue creating opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision to try new things, build practical skills, connect with others, and grow their confidence. That’s what experiences like this are all about. That’s what experiences like this are all about—getting out on the green, giving it a try, and having fun while doing it.
For Anna, the experience was another chance to see just how far she had come, from practicing her swing on Saturday mornings to taking the green alongside a professional golfer. Through it all, her fearlessness and optimism continue to shine.
Outlook Explorers Opens the Door to New Adventures
Golf may have been what first connected Anna with Outlook Enrichment, but it wasn’t where her involvement ended.
In July, Anna attended Outlook Explorers: Journey Beyond Sight Camp, which returned for the first time since 2019 in partnership with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of Health and Kinesiology.
From July 19–24, Anna joined youth from across the community for a week focused on trying new things, building confidence and making connections. Campers stepped outside their comfort zones through activities ranging from kickball to goalball, learning new skills and having plenty of fun along the way.
For Anna, it was another opportunity to embrace something new and have fun without worrying about being the best at it.
The smiles, laughter, and growth throughout the week were a reminder of why opportunities like Outlook Explorers matter. For young people who are blind or have low vision, having a place to try something new alongside peers who share similar experiences can be just as valuable as the activity itself.
That sense of community has meant just as much to Libby.
“I want Anna to continue to be happy with herself and to have one good friend who includes her and loves her for who she is. Now that I have met a community of such drive, compassion, resources and love, we may have to travel, but I know there is a place for Anna,” said Libby.
And Anna already has plenty of ideas about what she wants to try next. She’s interested in blind soccer and cooking classes, and someday, she would even love to scuba dive in the depths of the ocean.
Anna is open about the fact that the future can be scary. She worries about becoming fully blind and what that could mean for staying social and independent. But those fears haven’t stopped her from traveling, meeting people, trying new activities, and finding ways to do things for herself.
She doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her or make assumptions about what she can and cannot do because of her vision. She wants people to know that she is just as capable as anyone else.
At 15, Anna has plenty of adventures still ahead of her. This year alone, she practiced with the Stanley M. Truhlsen, Jr. Blind Golfers Clinic, played in Tee It Up Fore Sight, helped Team Outlook earn a third-place finish at the RSM Putting Challenge, and embraced every opportunity Outlook Explorers had to offer.
And through every new experience, Anna carries a simple reminder with her: “I am strong, and I can do hard things!”
We have a feeling Anna has plenty more “hard things” she’s ready to try.
Whether you’re looking to try something new, meet others, or get more involved, there’s a place for you in the Outlook Enrichment community.
Reach out to Outlook Enrichment today to learn more about our programs, upcoming events, and how you can get involved.
