Latest news with #Deaflympics
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Japan golfer who started at 29 heading for Deaflympics
OSAKA -- A golfer with hearing difficulties representing Japan in the upcoming Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics international games saw his life turned around when he started playing the sport completely by chance. Nobuyuki Fuchi was 29 when he was invited one day by his colleague at Himeji City Hall, who had also been his junior high school classmate, to go golfing after one of the original players canceled at the last minute. The now 48-year-old had never played golf before, thinking that it was a "rich people's sport." Fuchi mainly paid attention to the wild animals he encountered on the course that day -- deer, squirrels and rabbits. The turning point, however, came three months later, when he was invited again to play golf by the same former classmate. "You suck. Where do you think you're aiming?" Fuchi heard the colleague's half-joking insult loud and clear through his hearing aid. This sparked Fuchi's competitive nature. After that day, his life began to revolve around golf -- going to a driving range on weekdays after work and inviting his wife to play rounds together on days off, hoping the sport would become a shared hobby. Fuchi never received any coaching, but studied the sport by watching professional golfers on TV when tournaments were aired. "I just followed (professional players') examples," he reflects. Hearing disabilities an 'advantage' in the world of golf Fuchi began having difficulty hearing at the age of 5. Due to the side effects of medication he took, he developed severe hearing loss. He now can only hear faintly, even if someone shouts loudly right next to his ear, and lives with the help of hearing aid. He also reads people's lips to understand what they're saying. He attended regular schools growing up, and from junior high through university, played table tennis in school clubs. There were times Fuchi was bullied because of his hearing disabilities, but he never let it get him down, thinking, "This is just part of who I am." In the world of golf, he even considers having difficulty hearing a kind of "advantage." Because Fuchi can't hear the sound of the ball being hit, it's harder for him to judge the feel of the shot. However, since golf is a sport that requires deep concentration in silence, many golfers dislike even the slightest noise from their surroundings, and he says the inability to hear allows him to immerse himself in his own world. Grateful to know his passion Fuchi's encounter with deaf golf came four years ago. Learning that the Deaflympics would be held in Tokyo, Fuchi became interested, thinking, "Maybe I can carry the Hinomaru (Japanese flag) myself." But at the time, he didn't know how one could participate in such an event. Then, out of the blue, he received a direct message on his social media account: "If you're interested in deaf golf, how about giving it a try?" It was from someone affiliated with the Japan Deaf Golf Association who had seen him enjoying golf on social media. Fuchi became an association-designated athlete and went on to place eighth at the World Deaf Golf Championships held in Australia in August 2024. The following month, he came in second in the Japan Deaf Golf Championship, securing his spot in the Deaflympics in November this year. When he told the former classmate and colleague who first got him into golf about his Deaflympics selection, they quipped, "That's thanks to me." Fuchi no longer feels the need to prove himself -- instead, he's grateful to that friend for introducing him to the sport he is so passionate about. When he started playing 20 years ago, Fuchi never imagined competing in the Deaflympics, but he is beginning to embrace his role as a representative of Japan. "Compared to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Deaflympics are much less known. I want people to know that there's a competition where athletes with hearing impairments gather. My goal is to place in the top eight." With that determination, Fuchi looks forward to the tournament.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Canadian Deaflympic athletes face $100,000 shortfall, jeopardizing upcoming competition
In between shuttling her two sons back and forth to rep hockey and working two jobs, Kimberly Summers somehow finds the time to train for her own sport, as a decorated player on the Canada deaf women's volleyball team. But with the quadrennial Summer Deaflympics fast approaching in November, Summers now has something else to worry about: funding. The Canadian Deaf Sports Association (CDSA) is hoping to send a delegation of 48 athletes to the event, which is being held in Tokyo, but this week announced that it needs to raise $100,000 by October to be able to do so. With the CDSA having committed to pay for 50 per cent of each athlete's costs for travel and accommodation, it's on each competitor to make up the shortfall. 'It's very stressful, not only mentally, emotionally, obviously financially,' Summers said through an interpreter. 'I have to spend money out of my own pocket for training, for team fees, for equipment. 'Seventy-five per cent of my travel I'm paying for, it's like, 'Why am I paying out of pocket to compete at this level and represent my country?'' Summers, who was born deaf, is originally from Waterford, Ont., and is set to compete at her fifth Deaflympics. The 43-year-old works at a Sportchek store and as a student support councillor at a deaf school in Milton, Ont. However, she recognizes that a lot of her fellow Canadian competitors have to borrow money from family and friends to make it out to these big international events, which also include world championships and Pan Am Games for the Deaf. 'I've been involved since 2001 and we have to fundraise every event that we go to,' Summers said. 'It's a real struggle.' Despite the financial burden – which has seen a few competitors drop out of this year's Deaflympics – Summers said the experiences that she has had playing volleyball have been vital to her self-esteem, allowing her to show that she can do whatever nondeaf people can do. She has played on both hearing and deaf teams since she started playing as a teenager, but has found that communication has been a problem on hearing teams. 'I struggled in life, being deaf, with isolation, being the only deaf person in a hearing world,' she said. 'So volleyball, playing on a team, was my way to socialize and feel like I'm a part of something.' Her career highlight at the Deaflympics was undoubtedly 2017 in Samsun, Turkey, when Summers was selected as Canada's flag bearer for the opening ceremony. 'Something about 2017 and being the flag bearer, it had such an impact on me,' she said. 'And I felt like we were getting equal recognition at the Olympic level as hearing athletes do.' There are multiple reasons for the funding shortfall. The fact that Canada is sending its largest delegation in at least 20 years is one, as is the high cost of living in Tokyo, with hotel rooms running between $500 and $700 per night. Donald Prong, the president of the board of directors of the CDSA, said that there are some federal grants that provide funding, but they make up only a very small portion of what is required. One of the biggest problems, he said, is a lack of awareness in this country, particularly in contrast to a quadrennial event like the Paralympics. 'The Paralympics, they get a lot of funding,' he said through an interpreter. 'The media is always supporting them. So there is a bit of opportunity that we miss there that people aren't aware of the Deaflympics as much as the Paralympics.' Another hurdle that deaf people have to overcome, he said, is the belief that they should simply hold their events at the Paralympics. However, not only does the Deaflympics predate the Paralympics – it started in 1924 while the first Paralympics was held in 1960 – but Prong added that the Paralympics are for people that require adaptations. If a deaf person were to compete in the Paralympics, they would only qualify for two events with the adaptations that are involved. In comparison, Canada will compete in nine events in Tokyo this year. 'The Deaflympics, it's a deaf space,' he said. 'So there's language fluency, culture, socialization – even the officials are all deaf.' Both Summers and Prong are hoping that corporate Canada can step up and help get its athletes over to Tokyo to represent the country. 'We have the skill set that hearing volleyball players have,' Summers said. 'We deserve this opportunity to experience the inclusivity of Deaflympics or deaf competing events. We are at that same level as hearing athletes.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Man accused in woman's death booked into East Baton Rouge jail
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A man accused of killing a woman in April was extradited to Baton Rouge after his arrest in Ohio. The Baton Rouge Police Department said Richard Stinson, 68, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Thursday, May 22. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals on April 25 near Cincinnati, Ohio. He faces charges of first-degree murder and home invasion in connection with the beating death of Rose Davillier, 68. Officers responded to the 4100 block of White Sands Drive on April 14, where Davillier's body was found. Police said an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact BRPD's Violent Crimes Unit at 225-389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867. Baton Rouge man accused of hitting officer with his vehicle and nearly injuring another Baton Rouge man arrested, accused of flashing genitals to 16-year-old restaurant employee Trump faces scrutiny over private dinner with crypto donors Baton Rouge restaurant turning up the heat for Memorial Day First look at the 2026 Toyota RAV4 Ex-Big Brother star seeks backing for Deaflympics journey Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Big Brother star seeks backing for Deaflympics journey
LOUISIANA (KTAL/KMSS) — Matt Klotz, a USA Nationals' deaf swimming athlete and LSU Tiger alumni, is seeking public support to fund his trip to the Deaflympics in Tokyo this November. According to GoFundMe, Matt Klotz was the first-ever deaf contestant featured on Big Brother 25, where he shared his struggles growing up; people told him he would never succeed. Organizer Linda Klotz says the 2023 deaf world record holder has his eyes set on the 4th Deaflympic meet. However, according to the American Deaf Swim Team, 'deaf sports do not receive any financial support from the US Olympic Committee or Federal Government.' Louisiana teen overcomes train wreck, spinal injuries to graduate 'Swimming became his focus and motivation in a world where he did not believe in himself because others didn't.' Linda Klotz says, 'He never gave up and earned his BS in Kinesiology from LSU, where he swam as a D1 athlete. He has competed many times in USA Nationals, USA Olympic Trials, and the Deaflympics representing Team USA.' She details that the trip will cost approximately $10,000 in fees, training, equipment, and travel expenses. The GoFundMe is set at $4,000. Linda says if individuals prefer to donate for a tax-deductible expense, they can make a donation to the United States Deaf Swimming Team and add 'IN HONOR OF MATT KLOTZ' in the notes so he receives the funding support. The Deaflympics, taking place from November 15 to 26, 2025, in Tokyo. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ITV News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- ITV News
Northamptonshire deaflympians fear 'heartbreak' if they cannot fund trip to Tokyo 2025 games
A group of deaf athletes is appealing to the public to help fund their journey to the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics. Unlike the Olympics and Paralympics, the Government does not provide funding for athletes to compete in the Deaflympics, which has been running for over 100 years. The Northampton charity Deafconnect is calling on the public for donations to help athletes get to Tokyo, saying deaf people are being 'overlooked for the opportunity of a lifetime.' GB Deaf Women's Footballer, Genevieve O'Hara, said the moment her team qualified for Tokyo was joyous, but now they have the difficult task of fundraising £4,000 per person to go. 'I think the team would be gutted, obviously it's our dream to go to the Deaflympics" she told ITV News Anglia. "I've only been involved with the team for the last year, so for me it's a huge dream to go to the Deaflympics and something that I am hugely proud of. "If I don't get to go, I think I would be heartbroken.' Since October, when the women's team beat Poland to qualify for the Deaflympics, Ms O'Hara has managed to raise £2,000, which is half of her target. She believes Team GB would win more goals if the Government funded elite deaf sport, because the athletes would then be able to spend more time training. "Because of the funding situation, we've been having to pay for hotels, and training has had to be limited to once a month. We've got players that live all over the UK, so we have to set up training camps, but hotels aren't cheap" she said. "I think if we had that financial support, we could train more often. It means our fitness would improve, our skills and technical abilities would improve. "We would really like to bring home a gold medal, but at the moment we just can't train as much as we'd like. It's really difficult." Three-time deaflympian Claire Stancliffe from Wellingborough says the opportunity is not just about representing your country, it's about being part of something where communication is no longer a barrier. "Being part of DeaflympicsGB has changed my life. When I was 18 years old, I had no confidence, I had no life skills, I didn't know how to socialise," she said. "I look at where I am now, the job that I have, those skills I have learned from being in a deaf community and a deaf football team, have made me the person that I am today. I cannot express how important that is." She added: "It's really frustrating that we're deaf but we don't feel listened to." Christopher Naylor, who works at the charity Deafconnect, says it makes him angry to see athletes still struggling with fundraising 20 years after he won footballing gold in 2005. 'It is definitely life changing, without a doubt, when you remove all of those barriers and give that level playing field, that massive opportunity, and other people need to experience that, not only within sport but in work, in the wider community, and in social settings. "In the deaf community, we have suffered for many years, and we're still suffering now; it needs to change.' The charity's CEO, Jenni Dawkins said: "Deaf people are overlooked in everyday life, and now they are being overlooked for something that is the opportunity of a lifetime. "Nobody in the Deaflympics has any funding to go, and yet all of the Olympians from the hearing teams get funding to go; it just doesn't make sense.' For kit, training, interpreters, accommodation and travel, DeaflympicsGB says it will cost half a million to get their athletes to Tokyo. The government spent nearly 800 times that amount on the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, to the tune of £344 million. The Government said it is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people, with £1.2 million in funding via Sport England for grassroots deaf sports.
