ADVERTORIAL: Twenty-four-year old Terence Parkin is an exceptional young man. Years of rigorous training and top achievements led to him winning the silver medal for the 200 m breaststroke event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Advertisement
This year, he again represented South Africa at the Athens Olympics. Remarkably, despite profound hearing loss, he competes against hearing athletes. He is inspired by his pure enjoyment of the sport and the drive to show that the deaf can do anything.
To show his gratitude towards the KZN community, which has supported him for many years, he recently established the Parkin-Widex Swimming Academy with Widex SA CEO Brendan McGuirk and General Manager PK Nagin. Terence will provide free coaching for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids between the ages of nine and 18 who already have swimming skills.
Coaching starts with a splash in Durban
The launch of the Academy took place at the Kings Park Swimming Pool at 12:00 on Thursday 7 October 2004 and the first coaching session was presented from 13:00 to 15:00.
Coaching is to take place at the Kings Park Swimming Pool throughout the whole of October on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 13:00 to 15:00.
A total of 24 children, from amongst others the Durban School for the Deaf, Stellawood Primary School, Livingstone School and VN Naik School, all which educate children with hearing problems, have already registered for coaching.
Any parents interested in registering their children and who can provide medical proof of their hearing impairment, can contact Debbie Noppe at Widex SA at 0860 326061.
The significance of the launch and coaching in October is heightened by the fact that October is also Hearing Awareness Month.
'Success is possible despite deafness'
"Having a deaf role model as coach will show them that success is possible despite deafness. They will realise that deafness is only one aspect of an individual," says a Durban Audiologist who supports the project. Another Audiologist describes Terence as "both a role model to the deaf child by his sporting achievements and a coach that can truly identify with a deaf or hard-of-hearing child's specific needs".
A short glimpse of Terence's many unique qualities shows the message he will get across to kids at the academy with his enthusiasm for life and unique understanding of the challenges they face.
He is characterised by resilience, self-discipline and an unrelenting sense of achievement, giving him all it takes to be an Olympic Athlete, champion and national hero.
To him, being deaf simply means adapting to another sensory mode and different means of communication. He also obviously believes in high-quality action and all around him admire his love for life, sense of humour, absence of self pity and creative mind. He conveys the message very strongly that there is no shame or disability in deafness or being hard-of-hearing.
Terrence gratefully and humbly acknowledges the communication, coping and life skills taught to him over the years by dedicated family and friends. Professional and personal support and motivation comes from Graham Hill, who has been his coach since his swimming talents were first discovered at the age of 13.
Parents Neville and Bev moved from Bulawayo to Durban when they realised that their deaf son would need special education. He attended the Fulton School for the Deaf in Hillcrest where the caring professional staff, recognising his talents, were willing to adapt his education to his training schedule. Ingrid, his wife, understands Terence and supports his drive 100% - she herself is deaf and an educator at the Fulton School.
Widex committed to unmasking myths
Widex, a world-class innovator manufacturing digital hearing aids, is committed to unmasking the many myths surrounding hearing loss. This company has given much support to Terence. The Widex hearing aids donated to him in 2000, allowed him to hear new sounds he had never experienced before. Widex also sponsored his family to attend the Sydney Olympics to see him compete. He has described his family's presence at the event as "...probably the best part of the Olympics!"
The new Widex-Parkin venture is welcomed by Durban audiologists and educators at the Fulton and VN Naik Schools for the deaf. They share the view that swimming is the ideal sport in which deaf children can compete as individuals - even against hearing kids - without being threatened by the demands of a team sport, such as communication.
Terence himself says of swimming: "It allows me to compete against myself and not against my competitors". The self-esteem of deaf children is built by being able to identify with a group with shared characteristics. The difficulties in social interaction, which can affect the child's self-image and self-confidence, can be overcome by offering specialised training and by giving them the chance to compete against peers successfully.
The headquarters of Widex South Africa is situated at Broadway 28, Durban North.
Youshaan and Sinethemba eagerly awaiting the arrival of Terence.
Finally, the hero has arrived and a group photo is taken after the signing of many autographs and the shaking of hands.
Bookmark with:
What are social bookmarks?