Eastern Shore Sun

The XV Australian Deaf Games, held earlier this year on the Gold Coast encouraged competitors from all states and territories around Australia and New Zealand competing in 10 sports.  

Participants from left, Dana Pitt (Rosny College); Demi Pennicott (Rose Bay High);

Financially they were assisted by sponsorship from the Community Assist Program run by Forestry Tasmania and Southern Cross Television.

Three students competed in athletics and swimming and two students won bronze medals, Jarran Harris, from Rosny College, in the 200m sprint and Erin Turner from Launceston, in the 100m freestyle.  

The students were able to meet a variety of young people from different states and were able to watch elite athletes compete in a variety of sports like athletics, swimming, netball, beach volleyball and golf.  

They also saw deaf people competing without having to worry about issues associated with their hearing loss, which happens when they compete against hearing sports people.  

For example, in the athletics, those competitors who are unable to hear the starting pistol or for whom looking sideways at the gun to see when it goes off unbalances them for their start, have a ‘tapper’, a person who taps them at the same time as the gun goes off so they know when to start running.  

The swimmers have access to tappers and/or a light at the same time as the buzzer.  Interpreters are present for all events for announcements, to relay instructions and for medal presentations.

Now these students know what is possible to help them compete at an elite level and they can continue to lobby hearing sporting clubs to provide them with equal access to their sport which will allow them to have a fair go. Five of the students who travelled to Queensland this year, have decided that they would like to compete in the 2012 games which will be held in Melbourne and want to start training this year.

Email (will not be published)

Name

Title

Comment
 remaining characters

Post