SA Deaf Open winner Gail Klichowicz to represent South Africa in Tokyo

JOHANNESBURG - Gail Klichowicz will be representing South Africa at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, which will take place from November 15 to November 26. Klichowicz will be making her debut at the games.

“Still shocked but really super excited. Such an honour and privilege that I do not take for granted. I have even cancelled some of my mountain bike races so as not to stupidly hurt myself so that I can represent SA in the Deaflympics.”

The Deaflympics, which is essentially the Olympics for deaf people, were first held in Paris, France, in 1924. The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics will mark the 100th anniversary commemorative Games and will be held in Japan for the first time.

“I was always a hockey player and thought one day after hockey, I’d take up bowls. But then my son, through his friend, started golf lessons, and I needed to buy him golf clubs. And on looking around at the cost of ladies' clubs, I bought myself a bag of clubs and started off at a mashie course with a friend’s husband, who introduced me to golf - club by club - he would remove the plastic cover of the new club and tell me to use that.”

READ: Deaf golfer Charles Williams hopes to inspire as he heads to Deaflympics

Klichowicz told Eyewitness News that winning the recent Deaf SA Open and then being selected for the Deaflympics has been the highlight of her golf career.

“We play competitions every Friday morning at my golf club (PEGC), and the last three weeks I have been in the prizes. But the very big competition was the Deaf SA Open, and it was just so great to win that, especially on a course I had never even walked on before, and of course, then to be selected for the Deaflympics team.”

The SA Deaf Open in August, hosted at the King David Mowbray Golf Club in Cape Town, marked the return of the SA Deaf Open after 15 years, with Charles Williams and Gail Klichowicz winning the event.

“Golf is truly the hardest sport to play. As they say, it is the only sport that really brings you back to earth with a bump! You need patience, integrity and endurance. Golf is a sport that one needs to practice a lot on or play regularly, and fortunately, with working for myself and from home, I am able to play twice a week. I always say it is a 99.9% mental game (not 90% as they say). And I always joke with my friends that I have to concentrate/focus more at golf than I do at my desk.”

Klichowicz said she started competing in golf in 2010 and has since represented the country at various competitions.

“I started golf properly in 2010, and that year I represented SA in the World Deaf Golf Champs in Scotland. I just had goose bumps at the opening ceremony in St Andrews. Then in 2012 to Tsu, Japan, and then in 2014 in Traverse City, USA. And now this fantastic opportunity to go to the Deaflympics and witness all other deaf athletes take part in all those different sports.”

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