Deaf-blind speed skater to represent Canada

Ottawa athlete Kevin Frost almost seems more concerned with raising awareness of impaired speed skating than winning gold medals reports Metro Canada (02/05/12).

The deaf-blind speed skater who suffers from Usher Syndrome will represent Canada at the Impaired Skating Championship in Scotland on May 12 and hopes to help raise awareness about getting the sport recognized as an official Paralympic sport.

More countries need to practise impaired skating before the International Paralympic Committee will consider adopting it. “If I can get another 10 people who come from different countries, that’s a gold medal to me.”

He has been training for seven years, but it hasn’t been easy. He describes his vision as looking through two plastic straws and sound has to hit 90 decibels in order for him to hear it. Yet that doesn’t stop him from training and enjoying other sports.

“At the beginning it was very difficult, but with anything in life, when you do 1,000 laps you get a hang of things,” said Frost in the middle of a training session at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex in Orleans.

The race in Scotland is a key step in his mission to get countries, including Canada, on board to raise awareness about impaired skating, attract new skaters, and get it sanctioned as a sport in the Paralympics.

To help fund his accommodations in Scotland, Toppers Pizza at 5497 Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard in Orleans is throwing a fundraiser Wednesday and will donate $4 for every large pizza sold.

Profoundly deaf Woodford Green runner smashes his 2011 time

A profoundly deaf runner from Woodford Green knocked more than an hour off his time in last year’s London Marathon Writes Alastair Kleerbauer for the Ilford Recorder (24/04/12)

Martin Pampel, 28, of Lambs Meadow, took part in his second race on Sunday to help other deaf people by raising funds for charity Action On Hearing Loss.

Cheers from the crowd pushed Martin, who benefits from a cochlear implant to improve his hearing, to a finish of three hours 38 minutes.

He said: “It is always great to hear the words ‘come on Martin’ from complete strangers in the street.”

Martin was born profoundly deaf and used hearing aids until he was 17 when a sudden illness meant he lost “the little hearing that remained”.

He opted for the implant aged 18 which has made his hearing better than ever but said Action on Hearing Loss provided support in the “difficult and distressing time” after losing his remaining hearing.

He said: “I don’t think being deaf has an effect on my running but I have the choice of hearing or silence, just by switching off my cochlear implant.

“If I wanted to really concentrate, I could simply switch it off and carry on.

“I was still able to lip read many members of the crowds calling my name.”

He joked that he would struggle to better this year’s time without performance-enhancing drugs or the use of wheels, but is keen to run it again.

He has raised £1,600 so far and donations can be made on his Virgin Money Giving page.

Read more about Redbridge’s London Marathon runners who raised thousands for charity in this Thursday’s Recorder.

Deaf golfers seek funds boost

The English Deaf Golf Association represents the interests of over 200 golfers with all levels of hearing loss and deafness writes Bob Waters for GoldMagic.com (24/02/12).

It will be staging its national championships at Luffenham Heath Golf Course near Ketton, Rutland from June 2-4.

Later in the year the EDGA will be sending a team to compete in the World Deaf Golf Federation championships at Tsu Country Club near Osaka, Japan in October. The event had been under threat since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami which struck the coast last year but officials have given it the green light.

Among those taking part will be architect and budding course designer Ben Stephens, who created the testing Normanton course beside Rutland Water. He said EDGA is desperately seeking funding for the trip.

“We’re on the lookout for sponsorship and would appreciate any help towards sending teams to international events, “ he says. “Over the past few years the strength in depth of the England team has enhanced our ability to be successful in both individual and team events at world level and we’d love for this to continue.”

Leading the campaign will be current EDGA champion Martin Anderson from Pocklington, East Yorks, who claimed the title at Hunley Hall in Brotton, North Yorkshire with a gross score of 321 over 72 holes. The EDGA also won the Deaf Home internationals at Castleknock, near Dublin.

For further information on how you might help their cause, visit: www.englishdeafgolfassociation.com

Rio Ferdinand Shows Support to Deaf Football Competition

England’s biggest deaf friendly football competition breaks down barriers for deaf children report FC Business (01/02/12).

Deaf young people from across England will be putting their football skills to the test at the National Deaf Youth Football Tournament. The biggest annual tournament for deaf football clubs and deaf friendly football clubs takes place on Sunday 4 March in Liverpool and on Sunday 18 March in Reading.

Hundreds of deaf young footballers will enter the tournament, organised by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), the charity for deaf children and young people. Teams can be made up of deaf and hearing children as long as three or more players are deaf.

The tournament takes place as NDCS celebrates the major milestone of 100 football clubs in England to signing up to the NDCS Deaf-Friendly Football Club (FC) pledge.
NDCS has been working with clubs all over the UK, including Norwich City FC, which was the first club in England to join the project in April 2007. Manchester United and Arsenal have also signed up to the project and are looking forward to competing at the Tournaments. Now 100 clubs have signed the pledge to increase playing, coaching and socialising opportunities for deaf children and young people.

Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United and England International, said: “It’s fantastic to know that 100 Clubs have now signed the Deaf-Friendly Football Club Pledge. Just because you are deaf doesn’t mean you should be denied the right to play football. All children deserve the chance to play football and enjoy sport and at Manchester United we’re really proud of the fact that our Foundation has a Deaf Friendly team playing in a mainstream league. With the support of so many Clubs, hopefully we can encourage even more deaf children to take up the game.”

Deaf children are often excluded from mainstream sports activities because clubs fail to consider their needs and find out how they could make their club accessible. For deaf children, the communication barrier can make football clubs intimidating environments, denying them the same opportunities as other children to take part.
NDCS Hayley Jarvis, NDCS Inclusive Activities Manager, said: “This tournament is a great way for us to celebrate the success that the clubs and the coaches have reached in making our beautiful game accessible to deaf children.

“The Deaf-Friendly FC project has created unique opportunities for more than 1,000 deaf children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy football. The milestone we have reached is a great success, but there is still a long way to go – only 100 out of 120,000 teams are registered as deaf friendly. “

Victoria Wenman, GB Deaf Ladies Footballer, said: “The National Youth Deaf Football Tournament is a brilliant event for deaf young people. It is fantastic to see the continued growth of deaf-friendly football. It was only through playing with my deaf team that I really thrived as a confident player. My coach knew how to communicate with me whereas in other teams I’d played in, communication had been an issue. It is so important that deaf young people have the same access to sport as other young people.”

The NDCS Deaf Friendly FC Project was set up in 2007 with the help of a grant from the UK’s largest sports charity, the Football Foundation (FF). An additional grant of £129,623 has been awarded by the FF, and the Football Association has also provided £10,000 towards continuing the project in 2010-2011.
The tournaments will take place at two locations at the Goals Soccer Centre in Reading and in Liverpool. Teams which would like to send their entries, please email football@ndcs.org.uk or visit www.ndcs.org.uk/football for details.

Olympic torch honour for deaf Scunthorpe teenager

A profoundly deaf Scunthorpe teenager is chosen as an Olympic torchbearer writes V J Slack for This is Scunthorpe (30/01/12).

Mathew Slator, who is educated at the Doncaster Deaf Trust, has been chosen from tens of thousands of nominees to be a torchbearer in the countdown to the London Olympics this summer.

The 16-year-old from Scunthorpe last year became one of only four deaf football referees in the country, and is also the youngest. He was nominated for the Olympic honour as a result of his voluntary work, his positive outlook and attitude and his footballing accomplishments

Alan Robinson, Executive Principal at Doncaster Deaf Trust said: "Mathew has been studying with us since 2007 and during that time has proven to be an inspiration to his peers and tutors alike.
"Mathew has a profound Bilateral Sensori-Neural hearing loss but his disability hasn't stopped him living his dreams."

Last year Mathew won the Young Disabled Volunteer of the Year Award at the North Lincolnshire Leisure and Culture Awards for all coaching work on a voluntary basis with younger children at Scunthorpe United.

He said: "I love sport, mainly football, so to be given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch is just a dream come true and will be the best birthday present ever!"

Mathew, who will turn 17 at the end of May, added: "I don't believe I have done anything special - I have just lived my life as I've wanted to and nothing has held me back."

The Olympic Flame will be carried by 8,000 inspirational people as it journeys across the UK. London 2012 organisers have described the torchbearer's role as a "moment to shine, inspiring millions of people watching in their community, in the UK and worldwide".

Deaf football player sent off after missing whistle

A DEAF footballer ended up being sent off in a Lothians cup tie because he kept playing after the referee had blown his whistle reports The Scotsman (05/01/12).

Philip John Dolan – known as PJ – went on to score a goal, not realising that he had been ruled offside during the Armadale vs Kilsyth match on Hogmanay.

As he turned to celebrate he was immediately given a yellow card for failing to stop playing.

The card stood despite protests that he could not have heard the whistle and, when PJ picked up a second yellow for allegedly diving just moments later, he was sent off, leading to a probable two-game suspension.

The 24-year-old’s father told the Evening News he is furious at the decisions taken by referee Gavin Duncan during the Scottish Junior Cup third-round replay at Albyn Park in Broxburn.

He said the referee was told the Kilsyth player – who also plays for both the Great Britain and Scottish deaf football teams – was deaf before the first game and should have been aware of the issue.

Mr Dolan, 64, said: “The whistle went and Philip carried on. The linesman put the flag up but he didn’t see it and he kept going and scored the goal but he was offside.

“He is profoundly deaf and usually plays further back in right midfield, where he can see what’s going on but on this occasion he was brought on as a sub and was playing up front for the centre forward.

“Before he got his first yellow card, it was explained to the ref why he hadn’t stopped playing but the ref obviously didn’t care and gave him it anyway. Everybody was raging.”

Mr Dolan, who lives in Chryston, said PJ had been left “upset” by the incident. He added: “He’s a good player but would be an even better player if he wasn’t deaf. All he loves in life is football. I was upset by what happened at that game and so was he.

“He will be suspended now for about two games so that’s making him worse.”

A whistle is rarely used in games between all-deaf teams, with referees using a bright flag.Mr Dolan said the Kilsyth manager, Eric Sinclair, always explained to referees that PJ was deaf. Mr Sinclair told Mr Duncan – who is understood to be part of the SFA Referees Edinburgh and District – about PJ during the original tie four weeks ago, but did not mention it again before the game on Hogmanay, which Kilsyth won 2-0, as he thought he would remember. It is not known whether the club will appeal the decision but the SFA declined to comment. Referree Mr Duncan could not be contacted for comment.

World Deaf Futsal Championships Begin in Sweden

Sweden will host the World Deaf Futsal Championships in Orebro reports Yahoo Sports (18/11/11).

Sixteen men's teams and 11 women's teams will compete from Nov. 18 to Nov. 26 for the right to be called the best futsal nation in the world where all of the players are hearing impaired.

Sweden and Brazil are favorites to win as both countries have men's and women's teams in the mix. Futsal has world cup competitions on a regular basis, but this special competition is hosted by the Swedish Deaf Sports Federation.

Futsal is a cross between basketball and soccer. The rules are very similar to outdoor soccer except the game is played on an indoor or outdoor basketball court. There are only five players to a side including one goalkeeper on each end. The ball is smaller than a regulation soccer ball as are the goals.

There are no boards on the side. When the ball goes out of bounds there is a "kick in" instead of a throw in. There is no offside rule and no slide tackles on the hard surface. Goalies cannot throw the ball over the halfway line to start a play.

There are two 20-minute halves and the action is fast and furious. The ball quickly moves up and down the court much like basketball. Because the ball travels out of bounds frequently, the game has many more stops than regulation soccer.

FIFA governs international rules of futsal and will host the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand. The history of the game is as colorful as South American soccer. When Uruguay hosted the 1930 World Cup, it started a tradition of countries gathering together to play soccer every four years. Local gym teachers wanted a mini version of the game kids could play indoors, so they invented futsal.

Brazilian teams dominate the men's game as they won the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup as hosts. It was their sixth futsal title overall which is one more than Brazil owns in regulation association football. Falcao was the legendary player at the 2008 version. Simply watching Brazil's 12-1 demolition of Japan in 2008 is a thing of wonder. The ball stops very quickly on the floor surface as opposing players fly by trying to block shots that don't happen. In the very same tournament, Brazil beat the Solomon Islands 21-0. There are no mercy rules at that level.

Futsal is fast-paced. Like soccer, it can be played indoors or outside, all you need is a basketball court and some fancy footwork.

Bike trek triumph for deaf teenager Chris MacDonald

A Deaf teenager from York has cycled more than 1,300 miles to raise money for a local charity, reports Dan Bean, York Press, (22/08/11)

Chris MacDonald, 18, has been a member of Lollipop, a charity for deaf and hearing-impaired youngsters, for the last seven years.
He set out on August 1 from Aberdeen, with a final destination of York, via St Ives, Cornwall.
Chris, who has been profoundly deaf since the age of three, has raised just over £1,665 for the charity.
Chris said: “There are too many hills in Scotland – we had to push quite a bit.
“It was a bit difficult at first. We decided to go on a two-lane motorway, which wasn’t nice, and the weather made it very – very hard.”
Chris set off on the journey with school friend Lucas Wetherill, who sadly had to pull out of the challenge on doctor’s orders after contracting severe tonsillitis four days in. Lucas said: “I was very disappointed not to be able to carry on. I’m pleased that I still managed to raise money to donate towards such a fantastic charity, and I was pleased that Chris managed to do so well and arrive back safely.”
Chris said: “I had been doing a lot of training, so it was a bit quicker by myself, but a bit lonely.
“The best part of the journey was near Exeter on the A377, which was absolutely wonderful – round the mountain, but there are no hills, just nice curving roads and you can see for miles.”
The pair were hoping to raise £1,000, and said they were shocked by how much had come in.
“It’s just gone up like a rocket,” said Chris.
Andrea Gitsham, of Lollipop, said: “This is the largest amount that anyone has raised for Lollipop in a single sponsored challenge since we launched.
“It’s a fantastic achievement and we are very proud of Chris. He is an inspiration to us all. His sheer determination to complete the journey in the shortest time has amazed us all.”

Winning start for England deaf golf team captain Martin Anderson

MARTIN Anderson has made a winning start to his stint as captain of the England deaf golf team reports the York Press (21/08/11)

The Pocklington golfer, who plays off three, led his side to an inaugural Four Nations Cup win at the Castleknock Golf and Country Club in Ireland earlier this month.
Anderson, a member at Allerthorpe Park GC, skippered his team to 93 points – a ten-point victory over Scotland, with Ireland and Wales third and fourth respectively.
The competition was played with a twist to the matchplay format. Each hole was worth one point with all 18 holes played. Anderson was paired throughout the event with Michael Roberts, off six, and they won all three of their matches.

The team’s success also saw Anderson’s men take the England v Scotland Bi-Annual Cup and left the skipper delighted with the performance of the side.
“I have been thoroughly proud of all my players and I just would not have been able to win the Four Nations Cup without their excellent playing skills throughout the whole three rounds.” The next Four Nations Cup will be held at Vale of Glamorgan GC in 2013. Next up for Anderson is to present three wild cards to players who will make up the rest of his team at the 2012 World Deaf Golf Championships at Tsu GC in Japan.

He added: “I hope to take eight men and four seniors across to Japan. I am still looking for sponsorships so if there is a company that would like to sponsor the team, please get in touch through manderson22@hotmail.co.uk.”
Anderson is also grateful to Pocklington-based company brandtivity, who embroidered the England team shirts worn by the players.