South Africa’s Deaflympic team, with 19 medals from competition in Australia, were greeted by a silent heroes’ welcome at Johannesburg International airport on Tuesday afternoon.
Pupils from St Vincent’s School for the Deaf — also the alma mater of medallist brothers Greg and Nic Lessing — waved their hands in celebration (the way deaf people applaud) as the sports stars entered the arrivals hall.
The Lessings, Terence Parkin, Marko van Niewenhuizen, Ivan du Toit and Isaac Mahlake won 13 gold medals, five silver and a bronze.
Of that haul, Parkin bagged 12 gold and a silver, as well as five deaf world records. Parkin described his performance as his best since winning silver at the Olympics in Sydney 2000.
”When I got back from Sydney I was very well known. I also got good sponsorships. But since then it’s got quieter and the sponsorships have dried up.”
Since the Athens Olympics last year, when he failed to make the 200m breaststroke final, he has struggled financially.
”I’m hoping for a sponsor,” added Parkin, who now owns eight deaf world swimming records. ”I got some sponsorship, but not enough. I couldn’t survive at times, I couldn’t support my family. My wife, Ingrid, had to support us.”
Their daughter, Leya, turns two on Thursday.
Undeterred, however, Parkin is already looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Australia in March next year, saying he believes he can still go faster than his best-to-date 200m breaststroke time in Sydney, which is one of his deaf world records.
”I believe I can go faster. As long as I train properly, I feel I can improve.”
He was also talking about the next Deaflympics in 2009.
”I hope there will be swimmers to challenge me then.”
His medal haul included 10 individual gold, two relay gold and a relay silver. His only second place came in the 4x100m freestyle relay, where he, the Lessing brothers and Ivan du Toit were beaten by a powerful Irish outfit.
One of his world records also came in a relay, the 4x200m freestyle, which he swam with the Lessings and Van Niewenhuizen.
For Greg Lessing (23), that was one of two world records. He also broke the mark in the 200m backstroke, beating brother Nic (18) into second place.
”That was my most memorable race,” beamed the older Lessing.
”Mine too,” commented Nic, before adding: ”And also the relays.”
The two plan to train full-time for the national swimming championships in East London in April.
Mahlake (27) was the only non-swimmer to win a medal for Team SA, taking bronze in the marathon.
”I felt so happy,” he said. — Sapa