Before I moved to Toronto, I lived in pretty beat up, but character-filled apartment in Montreal.  For me, it had everything: a faux fireplace, large old windows, a stand-alone tub.  For my boyfriend, however, it was missing one thing in specific: a TV.  Now, living in Toronto with him, I have become a TV addict.  Though both of us are total amateurs in the kitchen, we watch a tremendous amount of cooking shows.  My personal favourite being Masterchef.  On a random evening a few months ago, I was curled up on the couch with Jay, watching the first episode of Masterchef.  At the beginning of the show, I’m pretty sure I was cradling a glass of wine in my fleece pjs.  At the end of the show, I was sobbing.

My tears were a result of Christine Ha’s story.  Diagnosed with a disease called Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), Christine has progressively lost her vision through the years.  Now blind, she has continued to pursue her dreams in so many ways, and listening to her story broke me open.  I openly cried as the judges praised her strength and ambition.  Christine is a writer, a chef and an advocate for NMO awareness.

I have followed Christine’s journey on the show, and each and every episode, was stunned by her perseverance and her unwavering passion.  Her ability to use her other senses to create savoury, stylistic and perfectly balanced dishes left me in awe.

Tonight, she won Masterchef.  And I cried some more.

Active in various blogs and Twitter accounts, I hope Christine receives all the praise and congratulations I believe she deserves.  What a truly amazing woman.  Yes, Chef!