Terence Mike Parkin is a swimmer from South Africa, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 200m Breaststroke. Parkin, who is deaf, also competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, as well as the Deaflympics in which he took home 29 gold medals.
The First International Silent Games, or First International Games for the Deaf, now referred to retroactively as the 1924 Summer Deaflympics, were the inaugural edition of the Deaflympics. The Games were held in Paris, France, from 10 to 17 August 1924, as an equivalent to the Olympic Games for deaf athletes. They were organised on the initiative of deaf Frenchman Eugène Rubens-Alcais, who, just after the Games, co-founded the Comité International des Sports des Sourds with other "deaf sporting leaders". The 1924 Games were "the first games ever" for athletes with a disability, preceding the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in 1948, which became the Paralympic Games in 1960 but which did not include events for deaf athletes.
Rebecca Meyers is a Paralympic swimmer of the United States. She won three gold and one silver medals in Rio 2016. She was also a member of the 2012 Paralympic Team, and won a silver and bronze in London. Rebecca Meyers has also competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Taiwan, which is also her only appearance at the Deaflympics. She also clinched a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
Afghanistan competed at the Deaflympics for the first time during the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Afghani team sent a five-member delegation for the Deaflympic event held in 2017, which is the only Deaflympic event where Afghanistan took part. The five members were: Ahmad Reshad Azizi (400m), Faiz Ahmad Faizi, Ekilil Khaliqyar (200m), Payman Noori (100m) and Ahman Fawad Sultani (100m). Afghanistan is yet to earn a medal at the Deaflympics.
Turkey as the host nation of the 2017 Summer Deaflympics competed in the event fielding 287 athletes. Turkey finished on 4th in the Medal list after winning 46 medals including 17 gold medals; this was also the occasion where Turkey won the highest number of medals in a single Deaflympics event.
Suslaidy Girat Rivero is a Cuban female deaf track and field athlete. She has competed at the Deaflympics in 2009, 2013 and in 2017 representing Cuba. Suslaidy Girat has won 8 medals in the Deaflympics including 6 gold medals and set the landmark for becoming the finest ever Cuban to have competed at the Deaflympics.
Greece competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. Greece sent a delegation consisting of 54 competitors for the multi-sporting event.
Beryl Atieno Wamira is a Kenyan female deaf track and field athlete. She competed in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics and in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics representing Kenya. She has won a total of 3 medals in her Deaflympic career including a Junior deaf world record breaking gold medal in the women's 200m event during the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.
Peggy de Villiers is a South African deaf swimmer. She represented South Africa at the Deaflympics in 2009 and 2013. She made her Deaflympic debut at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics and claimed 4 medals including a gold medal in the 50m backstroke event with a world record breaking timing of 31.11 for deaf swimming at that time. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in the women's 50m butterfly and women's 100m butterfly categories. She completed her undergraduated swimming career with the University of West Florida as a member of the college team.
Nele Alder-Baerens is a German female distance runner and marathon runner. She is regarded as one of the finest long-distance runners from Germany to have represented the nation at the Deaflympics. Nele Alder-Baerens has represented Germany at the Deaflympics in 1997, 2001, 2005, 2017 and in 2022 has clinched 5 medals in her Deaflympic career including 2 gold medals. She is also the defending champion in the women's marathon at the Deaflympics. Nele also currently holds few deaf world records in the women's Athletics.
Norway competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Norway sent a delegation consisting of 7 participants for the event. This was the 20th consecutive time that Norway participated at the Summer Deaflympics since making its Deaflympic debut in 1931.
Mexico competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Mexico sent a delegation consisting of 8 participants for the event. This was only the 4th occasion where Mexico participated at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 2001.
Gergana Stoyanova Baramova is a Bulgarian female badminton player. She is profoundly deaf and has mainly competed at the Deaflympics and World Deaf Badminton Championships.
Alexandra Polivanchuk is a Swedish female deaf swimmer who is also the twin sister of Anna Polivanchuk. She has represented Sweden at the Deaflympics in 2005, 2009 and 2013. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in 50m and 100m butterfly events. She graduated and has been training the sport of swimming at the Gallaudet University.
Anna Polivanchuk is a Swedish female deaf swimmer and also the twin sister of Alexandra Polivanchuk. She competed at the Deaflympics in 2005 and 2009. She currently holds the deaf world swimming record in the women's 400m freestyle event which was set by her in 2006. She also graduated and continued her swimming career with the Gallaudet University.
Natalia Deeva is a Belarusian deaf female swimmer. She has competed at the Deaflympics on six occasions, the most appearances by a Deaflympic competitor representing Belarus at the Deaflympics. She is notable for breaking three deaf swimming world records in a single day at the 2007 World Deaf Swimming Championships.
Cornell Loubser is a South African female deaf swimmer. She represented South Africa at the Deaflympics in 2013 and 2017. Cornell has also won medals in the South African national deaf swimming championships and in the 2015 World Deaf Swimming Championship.
Diksha Dagar is an Indian professional golfer who is also hearing-impaired. She became the leading amateur ladies golfer in India from November 2015. Diksha Dagar represented India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics where golf was included in the Summer Deaflympics for the very first time and competed in the women's individual golf event securing a silver medal. Diksha also qualified to represent India at the 2018 Asian Games. She is also considered one of the emerging amateur golfers in India. In 2019, she became only the second Indian female golfer after Aditi Ashok to win the Ladies European Tour and became the youngest Indian woman to do so at the age of 18.
Matthew James Klotz is an American male deaf swimmer who represents United States at the Deaflympics and other international events including the Deaf World Championships. He is a world record holder in swimming for deaf and is considered one of the finest deaf swimmers to represent USA after the retirements of Marcus Titus and Reed Gershwind.
Aksana Petrushenka also spelt as Oksana Petrushenka is a Belarusian deaf swimmer who is also a current world record holder among deaf swimmers in women's 100m and 200m breaststroke. She has represented Belarus at the Deaflympics in five occasions in 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017. She is considered to be the second most decorated woman in Deaflympics history with a record haul of 28 medals, which is second highest among women in Deaflympics after Cindy-Lu Bailey.
