BUDDING athletes from a Derby special school were inspired to tackle new challenges and raise their game when a national deaf sports organisation visited.
Pupils at The Royal School for the Deaf Derby welcomed Deafersify CIC for an action-packed session designed to encourage participation in sport while building confidence and communication skills.
The day began with a presentation from Deafersify founder Gemma Hunter — a former Everton and England deaf team footballer, as well as UK female deaf go-karting champion — who shared her journey in sport and spoke about overcoming barriers and embracing opportunity.
After taking part in energetic warm-up activities, pupils stepped into the roles of researchers and interviewers, preparing insightful questions for a deaf sports professional about his journey.
In the afternoon, deaf futsal player and former member of the Great Britain Deaf Football team John Atkinson — part of the squad that brought home gold at the 2005 Deaflympics — joined them for a filmed interview, giving pupils valuable hands-on experience while developing their skills in interviewing, filming and editing.
Year nine student, Ruqaayah said: “I really enjoyed being part of this activity and meeting the Deafersify team. It was such a fun day.
“It was great working on the project with some of the post-16 students, as they have become great role models having already taken part in professional sports at the Deaflympics. It was nice to chat to them and get to know them better.
“I felt a bit nervous when the camera was on me, but I was mostly excited. The editing went really well and I loved asking lots of questions about what it’s like to be a professional sportsperson.”
The visit forms part of the Deaf Sports Heritage Project, supported by a £98,275 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The initiative celebrates and preserves the sporting achievements of deaf people, both past and present, ensuring their contributions are recognised and remembered for generations to come.
In recent years, fewer Deaf people have progressed to represent their clubs and country at elite level compared to previous generations. Through its Deaf Sports Heritage project, Deafersify is exploring the reasons behind this decline — including the closure of Deaf sports clubs and changing barriers — while encouraging young Deaf people to connect with past sports stars, learn from their experiences and better understand the pathways available to succeed in their chosen sport.
Now in its second year of funding, Deafersify has worked with schools in Birmingham, Belfast, Cheshire and Manchester, supporting young deaf people to explore a rich sporting history that may previously have gone undocumented.
Founder of Deafersify, Gemma Hunter, said: “Pupils enjoyed pizza alongside John and the team at lunchtime and each received a certificate of completion at the end of the day.
Headteacher Paul Burrows said: “We were very pleased to welcome the Deafersify team into school. The pupils engaged brilliantly with both the sporting activities and the interview element of the session.
“There can be barriers for Deaf young people when accessing sport, but there are also tremendous opportunities. We recently had three of our pupils compete in the Deaf Olympics in Tokyo and return with a bronze medal, which was an incredible achievement.
ENDS
This press release was distributed by Penguin PR. To find out more contact Sarah-Louise Elton on 01332 416228 or by email at [email protected]
