Due to poor phone signals, all her supporters had to wait a while to get final news when she said ‘Conditions were tough! So relieved to have finished and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amazing fundraising! It really helped me in my swim!!’
Well-wishers and supporters have raised well over her target of £4,000 for her chosen charity Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.
As a former swimmer representing Great Britain in Deaf competitions and achieving 3rd world ranking for her event she was told as a teenager that she would never be able to swim again after being diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease. Verity had to learn the basic of swimming after the disease had severely affected her balance and vision.
‘Thanks to my hearing dog Bow , my disability has become visible’
Her fundraising website is still open and accepting donations.
Verity’s swim comes 5 years and 16 days after Andrew Rees became the first Deaf man to complete the same feat. If records are correct and they will be verified later it would appear that Varity managed a faster swim being around 3 hours quicker than Rees.
After viewing our interview with former ICSD President Craig Crowley, the most senior Technical Director in the ICSD has come on record to give you information about some of the concerns raised in our interview with Crowley
This post replaces the original which we had to remove due to video tech issues. We apologise for the earlier trouble you may have expereinced in trying to download.
This interview was recorded on 30th July 2021. It is accessible partly in BSL and International Sign and supported with English subtitles.
Last week Gustavo Perozzolo, ICSD Interim President wrote to national members to request ‘calm and focus’ in response to ongoing concerns and criticisms. In reply, former ICSD President Craig Crowley has made a video reply to the letter to raise concerns about its content and the current situation of next year’s Summer Deaflympics.
Craig Crowley approached Two Big Ears and requested that we publish his concerns. This video interview is presented in BSL, International Sign and supported with English subtitles.
Ahead of today’s European Deaf Sport Organisation Congress, former General Secretary shared an open letter and vlog to explain the situation about his dismissal and concerns of poor leadership.
VIDEO INTRO:
A brief explanation of this article
Today, Saturday 10 July 2021, at the European Deaf Sport Organisation (EDSO) online Congress, one of its national members, UK Deaf Sport will table a motion of no confidence in the EDSO Board. The reason for this relates to the unexplained reasons for the 2019 abrupt dismissal of Philip Gerrard, a Vice President of UK Deaf Sport who, at the time was the EDSO Secretary General – In 2018, he was overwhelmingly voted in by the EDSO membership on his popular manifesto to help EDSO modernise and reform.
Gerrard has asked Two Big Ears to publish his IS vlog here for the benefit of the whole European Deaf Community as a matter of public interest. The vlog will be uncomfortable viewing for members of the EDSO Board because its is a frank account of concerns:
VIDEO FROM P. GERRARD:
Philip Gerrard Explains reason behind the vote of no confidence. This vlog is in International Sign
During his tenure, Gerrard kept his word to support EDSO by following up on his promises, he identified the following challenges facing the EDSO Board:
Lack of strategic thinking presented and reported on to member countries at meetings and in-between.
Lack of opportunities and encouragement for women to join the EDSO Board.
Lack of robust and transparent financial processes which led to the closure of the EDSO bank account.
After Gerrard was dismissed, UK Deaf Sport and other countries were expecting to see an improvement or changes made to the organisational issues that were raised. But since nothing has happened, the motion to make a vote of no confidence has been submitted.
Considering the amount of time that has passed since his dismissal, Gerrard has written an email and a vlog for the EDSO members to read to ensure that they fully understand the reasons for the vote of no confidence. Gerrard has also asked Two Big Ears to publish both the vlog and the messages here so that the grassroots membership in deaf sports clubs as well as the Deaf community in European nations have full access to what is going on.
As we publish this post, we understand that other nations have pledged their support to vote for this. In addition to explaining the reasons for the vote of no confidence, the motion also puts forwards recommendations that:
All EDSO members deliver a vote of no confidence and ask for an independent review into the reasons for the dismissal of Philip Gerrard as EDSO Secretary General and;
That the EDSO Board engage with its members to ensure that national representatives can fully access future EDSO meetings and events.
When we were approached by Philip Gerrard, we asked him why he wanted to go public. His explanation was straight to the point: “To give members the opportunity to seek reform with EDSO.”
Ahead of todays EDSO congress, UK Deaf Sport has sent in a message of support to Gerrard’s email and expressed their concerns “We are disappointed with the expereince our UK Deaf Sport International Relations ambassador has had, and look forward to seeing steps taken by EDSO to ensure greater commitment towards gender equity and good governance which is something we strongly believe in.”
UK Deaf Sport will be represented at the Congress by Gordon Hay, from the UKDS International Relations Group and Valerie Copenhagen, UKDS Executive Director. They will also table a second motion that EDSO meetings (online and face to face) must modernise and be delivered with captions in English alongside International Signs. Readers will ask “Why English?” In line with international protocol, English is the official language of communications for official EDSO business and this is stated in the EDSO constitution.
“Presenter Aimee Campbell-Nottage looks at the history of the Deaflympic Games, which started in 1924 and continues to pit the best Deaf sportspeople from across the world against each other. Aimee also looks at how the Deaflympics celebrates Deaf culture and brings people from across the world together in a celebration of sport. But, what about the future of the Deaflympics? Is it really Running Out Of Time? Directed and edited by Sebastian Cunliffe, this programme was produced for BSLBT by ITV SignPost.” (BSL Zone website)
It features former ICSD President Craig Crowley, current ICSD Vice President Gustavo Perazzolo and former EDSO President Isabelle Malaurie.
The BSL Zone website has a great page to find several more of their documentaries about Deaf sport and its inspiring organisations, athletes and personalities.
The Australian Federal government plans to keep its international borders closed until mid-2022, impacting on athletes participating in the postponed Deaflympic Games.
Phil Harper, GM of Deaf Sports Australia has written an open letter to all national Deaf sports organisations and members of the ICSD to share their decision about attending the forthcoming Summer Deaflympic Games that ICSD hopes will be held in Brazil next year.
Phil Harper PhD, GM Deaf Sports Australia picture: Deaf Sports Australia.
After considerable deliberation with their federal government, Sports Australia and Sport Integrity Australia, Harper and his colleagues have made the decision not to send athletes to the games due to the remaining uncertainties of the Covid pandemic.
The main issue concerning Deaf athletes is that Australia plans to keep its borders closed until sometime in mid-2022 and travellers returning have to quarantine for 2 weeks at the own expense on their return.
As with other nations, the Australian government does not support it Deaflympic athletes financially as its does for Paralympians therefore Deaf athletes continue to be considered unworthy of their support and would not be able to afford the personal costs of competing in Brazil and then paying out for the 2-week quarantining on their return.
Harper shared the frustrations of many in the global Deaflympic community: “This decision is made with extreme difficulty knowing the impact on our athletes, coaches, managers and families who see this (Deaflympics) as a pinnacle international event in their sport lives, however, the risks are too great and we would not be supported by our Federal Government to attend.’
The Summer Deaflympics were originally planned for December 2021 and then ICSD took direction from the organising committee in Brazil to postpone until May 2022.
The Deaflympic Games are the second oldest global multi-sport event after the Olympics, it supersedes the Paralympics by 36 years when it held its first event the International Silent Games in Paris 1924.
Thank you to SEE HEAR the BBC national deaf TV programme series in the UK – you can watch the video tribute to Teddy Webb – well known to many in the European and Deaflympic Deaf communities.
The organising Committee of the 24th Summer Deaflympics decided yesterday to postpone the next Summer Deaflympics until May 2022.
The event was due to take place this coming winter, December 2021 but the local organising committee which includes the University of Caxias du Sol have suggested a new date for the event, 1st – 15th May 2022.
The committee meeting was broadcasted via the internet and the ICSD Interim President Gustavo Perazzolo and the ICSD Executive Dimitri Rebrov took part alongside other members of the organising committee.
The decision to postpone is because of the worldwide restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Around the world there are different ideas and regulations about administering vaccines and so the postponement would allow more countries to complete their immunisation programmes before the event tales place.
This will be the first time that the Deaflympics have been held in Latin America and it is expected that this postponement will be welcome news to all the National Deaflympic Committees around the world. This will allow 4,000 athletes competing in 21 sports more time to prepare.
So far, there is no mention of this on the Deaflympics website. The information is available here and on Facebook
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