'Heroes of Hope' pay a heartwarming visit to the DP World Tour Championship

DP World empowers People of Determination through golf and community engagement at the Jumeirah Golf Estrates

By Nick Tarratt, Guest Golf Writer

Published: Sat 16 Nov 2024, 4:25 PM

Last updated: Sat 16 Nov 2024, 4:26 PM

On Friday, the DP World Tour Championship was graced by a special visit from the Heroes of Hope, led by their passionate founder, Hollie Murphy.

Hollie, who has lived in the UAE home for the past 14 years, has been a beacon of hope for children with special needs in the region.

Reflecting on her journey, Hollie shared with Khaleej Times: "When I first moved here, there wasn't much available for children with additional needs.

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"Over time, I realized how important it was to give them access to sports and services just like any other child. So, I set up after-school clubs for kids with additional needs, and anyone in the community who wanted to enjoy sports. It just took off from there."

The Heroes of Hope group made a visit to the DP World Tour Championship which included a visit to the Driving Range with a Masterclass Trick Shot Show by internationally famous Kevin Carpenter. - Supplied photo

It wasn’t long before Hollie realized that her true calling lay in this mission.

"I decided my heart and passion were in this, so I resigned from teaching and focused on turning the vision into a full-time sports academy. Now, nearly five years later, that’s exactly what it is."

Today, Heroes of Hope runs an impressive range of daily programs for children with additional needs, offering 23 weekly sports sessions across multiple disciplines, including running, cycling, swimming, and golf.

As Hollie says, "You name it, we do it – we always say yes."

Every weekend they host competitions giving the children the chance to thrive, compete, and experience the joy of sports.

The Heroes of Hope program is offered free of charge, thanks to partnerships with various events and event companies, including collaborations with DP World and the DP World Tour to deliver its initiatives.

Participants range in age from 3 to 46, with the oldest member, Richard, a powerlifter and avid golfer.

What began with just 12 members has grown to nearly 300 registered participants at Heroes of Hope, a non-profit sports academy that relies on donations to sustain its programs.

The academy operates independently, without support from government bodies or corporate sponsors, and regularly hosts social events for the children.

Hollie said: "Children of determination often don’t receive as many invitations to social gatherings as other children, so these events are very important. The academy is not affiliated with schools or other school groups; it is entirely volunteer-run. All of our coaches donate their time, as do the support and admin staff."

The students have a wide range of cognitive and intellectual disabilities, with some also having physical disabilities.

"We try to keep it as inclusive as possible," Hollie emphasized. "We don't exclude anyone—it's all about inclusion."

This year’s partnership with DP World involves the golf program, which started three years ago. Last year, two members, Marwan Al Khaja and Thomas O'Brien were awarded Tommy Fleetwood Academy scholarships, a special prize for their dedication. However, this opportunity has not yet been repeated for the 2024 participants.

Twelve students participated in this year's golf program, several of whom have been part of the initiative since its inception.

“We’ve seen a lot of progression, particularly in their confidence,” Hollie said. “We’re also starting to see their competitive spirit emerge.”

The partnership with DP World focuses on the golf program, rather than directly with the DP World Tour or the Tommy Fleetwood Academy (TFA), although all three have collaborated to offer this unique pportunity. The students play every week at the TFA on Jumeirah Golf Estates, with professional Joe O'Connor serving as the main coach.

Heroes of Hope is also affiliated with the Special Olympics organization. Earlier this year, members of the program participated in the UAE National Games.

As part of their visit to the DP World Tour Championship, the students were treated to a 30-minute trick-shot show by one of the world’s best trick-shot golfers, Kevin Carpenter, on the range at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The students also had the chance to try some trick shots with great success.

Looking ahead, Heroes of Hope plans to continue growing.

"We aim to develop a dedicated sports arena in the UAE for People of Determination," said Hollie. "In the short term, we will be launching wheelchair sports programs for the community starting in January 2025.

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Mrs Rania Talayeh, the mother of 19-year-old Rayan—who has spastic paraplegia and has been part of the golf program since its launch—spoke passionately about the impact of the program:

"The golf program brings him great joy,” she said. “He’s really enjoying it and improving all the time. Heroes of Hope is doing incredible work for our children."

For more information about Heroes of Hope, visit www.heroesofhopeuae.com.