Go See: Deaf Sports Personality of the Year 2016 – at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium!

Posted on October 18, 2016 by



Deaf Sports Personality of the Year (DSPY) will be hosting their fourth annual event on Saturday 12th November 2016 at the Woolwich Suite at the Emirates Stadium in London, the home of Arsenal Football Club.

Around 300 people are expected to attend to witness the winners collecting different awards for their achievements during 2015/16, recognising the achievements of Deaf sports people who are so often overlooked by the government and sports bodies.

The Guest of Honour will be Beth Tweedle MBE, who was 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist, three times World Champion, six times European Champion and seven times British Champion.

DSPY have received over 180 nominations from the public for the eight award categories.

The winner for each award category will be decided by a combination of votes – 60% will be awarded by six neutral deaf judges (representing Northern Ireland, North of England, Midlands, South of England, Scotland and Wales) before the DSPY 2016 Awards Night.  The other 40% will be obtained from live votes from the audience on the Awards Night using an electronic vote system.

Video clips announcing the nominees and the categories can now be seen on the DSPY website and the shortlisted nominees are also listed along with their achievements below.

Organiser Richard Weinbaum said:

“Judging the merits of so many nominations is never easy as the standard of application is extremely high, so the shortlisted nominees in each of these categories deserve to be proud of their achievements and recognition.”

Watch ticket information in the video below:

DSPY2016 Awards Tickets are priced at £35 per ticket per person till Friday 11th November 2016 at 11.59pm.  Tickets are not available on the door. Tickets can be purchased online at this link:  www.dspy.co.uk/ticket.html

BSL Tour at Emirates Stadium Tickets at 2.30pm and 4pm are priced at £20 per ticket per person till 11th November 2016 at 11.59pm.  BSL Stadium Tour:-  https://youtu.be/yYbkGg08D2k

For more information – please contact organisers Richard Weinbaum and Jackie Harrison on email:- dspy@dspy.co.uk.

Or visit: Website:- www.dspy.co.uk Facebook:- www.facebook.com/pages/Deaf-Sports-Personality-of-the-Year/194103683992540Twitter:- @dspyawards. Instagram:- dspyawards

Categories and nominated people below:

Unsung Hero 2016

Claire Stancliffe

  • In December 2015, when the GB players were told that GB couldn’t send the womens squad as they had no money she asked for time to raise some money herself and was given 30 days to raise £10,000.
  • As well as working, she was spending 14 hours free time per week on fundraising for the team.
  • In the end she raised around £25,000 and was able to send the GB squad to the Deaf World Cup Football.
  • She also secured 2 sets of brand new kits for the mens u21 squad to use at the Euros 2016.

Five Deaf Otters

  • Sometimes it is difficult to train together as a party of 5 as they don’t live nearby and they have their own commitments. Instead, they kept themselves motivated by posting their training experience on their Facebook ‘Five Deaf Otters’ page.
  • They swam 5.25 miles (8km) each in a total of 26.25 miles at Coniston Open Water.
  • This took them between 3-5 hours staying in water at the temperature of 17.1 celsius
  • They raised approx £4,800 for the GB Deaf Swimming team

James Townsend

  • Keeping up a full time job with SignVideo as well as being a volunteer coach for his son’s under 9’s Warlingham Rugby Club, (a hearing club). Keeping his commitment to James run has meant giving up time from his wife and three children.
  • He has run 19 races varying between 5k’s, 10k’s, and half marathons so in total 185 miles as Guide Runner for James Clarke.
  • Managed to run 5 races within 9 days (three 10k’s, and two half marathons)
  • Raised almost £900 for the MacMillan Cancer Support charity 

Overseas Sport of the Year 2016

Tereza Kmochova

  • Won 5 gold medals at the 18th Winter Deaflympics in Khanty Mansijsk, Russia.
  • Currently No1 Female Deaf Alpine Skier in the world.
  • Now is a member of the Czech Paralympic Team.
  • Achieved 2nd place in slalom at the Hearing Czech National Championships 2016.

Satoshi Tamura

  • The first deaf person to stand on top the world’s highest mountain
  • Successfully reached the summit of 8,848-meter Mt. Everest in May 2016.
  • Tamura took three attempts to eventually achieved his long-held dream of reaching the peak of Mt.Everest.
  • He quotes “It doesn’t matter whether or not you can hear. If you have the courage to give it a try, you’ll find a way.”

Rebecca Meyers

  • Won 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal at the IPC Swimming World Championships 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland.
  • Broke two World Records for the 200m Individual Medley (SM13) and the 400m Freestyle (S13).
  • Attended the Paralympics 2016 in Rio, Brazil and won three gold and one silver medals
  • Won the 2015 Award for “Best Female Athlete with a Disability” at the Excellence in Sports Performance Awards.

Sports Club of the Year 2016

St John’s DFC

  • First ever team to win the ‘Double’ for the England Deaf Football Challenge Cup (EDF) and British Deaf Football (BDF) in 2015
  • Won four cups within one season in 2015.
  • Knocked POK Athens out of Deaf Champion League in 2016 to ensure they could not match St Johns DFC record of winning three DCL finals in a row.
  • A number of St Johns players were selected for the GB men’s and women’s squads at the Euros 2015 in Germany, at the World Championships 2016 in Italy and the GB U21 team in Poland for the Euro Championships 2016.

Charlton Athletic DFC

  • The Men’s team reached the semi final of England Deaf Football Challenge Cup (EDF)  2 years in a row.
  • The Under 16s have not lost a game for 2 years, winning at the National Deaf Children Society, Kent Disability Football League and Catford tournaments.
  • The Under 12 team were runner up in 2015 at the National Final in St George’s Park.
  • A new Veterans football team were set up of players who were no longer picked to play for the first team in the hearing league.

Fulham DFC

  • Won the British Deaf Football Cup 2016 after beating Glasgow 3-0 in the extra time
  • Won the English Deaf Football Cup 2016 after beating St Johns DFC 2-0
  • Secured promotion from Surrey Intermediate Division Two during 2015/2016 season
  • Won the British Deaf Football Plate in 2015

Young Deaf Sports Personality of the Year 2016

Esah Hyat

  • Won the U18 Boys Singles at the World Deaf Tennis Championships in 2015.
  • Won U14 Boys Singles  at the Middlesex County Closed Championships in 2015.
  • Played the qualifying match for HSBC Road To Wimbledon International 2016.
  • Won Bronze in the Boys Singles, Silver for the Boys Doubles, and Gold for the Youth Mixed Doubles at the European Deaf Tennis Championships 2016.

Charlotte Payne

  • Became the National Champion and ranked UK No.1 in Discus in the 2016 mainstream rankings.
  • Won the South of England Championships for both Discus and Hammer.
  • Competed for Berkshire at the AA Inter-County Championships and broke the Hammer championship record by 7 metres.
  • Came 3rd at the England Athletics U15/U17 Championships in Hammer even though just joined the first year in that age group.

Jodie Ounsley

  • Now in first season playing rugby for Yorkshire U15s County team.
  • Debuted against Leicestershire and became the Club Top Try Scorer, Overall Club player and won the ‘Players’ Player of the Year Award.
  • Debuted for Regional Athletics team ‘Kirklees’ at the County Championships, winning Bronze as well as breaking the Athletics Club 100m record.
  • World Coal Carrying Champion U17s 2016.

Team of the Year 2016

Great Britain Deaf Tennis

  • Esah Hayat won the Boys’ Singles Gold Medal at the 1st World Deaf Tennis Championships in 2015
  • Lewis Fletcher & Jack Clifton won the Men’s Doubles Bronze Medal at the 13th European Deaf Tennis Championships 2016
  • Esah Hayat & Phoebe Suthers won the Junior Mixed Doubles Gold Medal at the 1st European Deaf Tennis Junior Championships.
  • Won one Gold, three Silver and two Bronze Medals at both the 13th European Deaf Tennis Championships and the 1st European Deaf Tennis Junior Championships in Slovenia

England Deaf Golf

  • Won and retained the trophy at the European Deaf Golf Open Championships 2015 in Norway.
  • Able to succeed without a qualified coach/manager or any other background staff.
  • Lydia Ingman was the first English Ladies winner and Paul Waring the Runner Up for the Men Category at the World Championships 2016.
  • Lydia Ingman and Donna Cross have won the Ladies Team event at the World Deaf Golf Championships 2016 in Denmark.

Northern Ireland Deaf Bowling

  • Won Nine Gold and Seven Silver Medals at the International Deaf Lawn Bowls Championships 2015 in Belfast.
  • Were classed as Overall Team Runner up.
  • Christine Walls won the Gold medal for the Ladies Singles.
  • The Men’s Team won the Gold Medals for the Pairs, Triples and Fours.

Coach of the Year 2016

Catherine Fletcher

  • Currently a Level 4 Senior Performance Coach as well as a National Deaf Tennis Coach.
  • Coaching the National Deaf Tennis team at least once a month and before a main event this may increase to twice a month.
  • Formed a squad of 16 players, 6 of whom are Under 12 with a promising in future in Deaf Tennis, should they continue and have the right programmes and support in place.
  • Great Britain Deaf Tennis won 8 medals in total including 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the 13th European Deaf Tennis Championships and 1st European Deaf Tennis Junior Championships in Slovenia.

Memnos Costi

  • Won the triple Cup finals in the space of a week!
  • Supporting several young players break through and establish themselves in the first team.
  • Watching many of his players represent their country, both at senior and U21 level with seniors winning gold and bronze medals.
  • Being the first Deaf football team ever to win the ‘Deaf Double’ which has eluded so many teams for so long!

Fiona Southwell

  • Coached the first successful deaf solo swimmer, Andrew Rees to swim across English Channel.
  • Started training Andrew Rees in 2013 with the aim for a relay swim but identified he was progressing to a level that he could achieve a solo swim.
  • Trained every week together by doing 6 hour swims both in the sea and in an open aired pool even through the winter months.
  • When Andrew had night swims she was kayaking alongside and fed him from the side of her kayak.

Deaf Sports Personality of the Year 2016

Andrew Rees

  • The first Deaf person to swim solo in the English Channel
  • Total time in the water to complete this was 15 hours and 14 minutes on 17th July 2016.
  • On the same day, 11 boats went out (with 6 solos and 5 teams of relays swimmers).  Only 2 boats completed this feat which was one relay boat as well as himself because the weather changed to gale force 6 winds at the French section of the Channel.
  • Raised £8,010.31 including Gift Aid so far for the GB Deaf Swimming team.

Lydia Ingman

  • Came close to winning at the European Deaf Golf Championship 2015 by catching up with the Leader and forcing a playoff.
  • Became the World Ladies Deaf Golf Champion in 2016.
  • Achieving the Derbyshire County Colours and won  8 matches in total for Derbyshire County.
  • Won  3 out of 4 single matches at the Derbyshire County week.

Danielle Joyce

  • Won the Sportswoman of the Year 2015 at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards against top mainstream Olympic finalists.
  • Became World Champion and breaking the World Record for 100m Backstroke at the Deaf World championships, Texas, 2015.
  • Overall top scholar of the year at University of Stirling sports Union.
  • Broke 7 Deaf World Records

Paul Waring

  • Become the Champion for the Midlands Youths Golf Open
  • Become the Champion for the European Deaf Golf Championships.
  • Runner-Up for the World Deaf Golf Championship
  • Involved with England Deaf Golf team to successfully defend the European Deaf Golf Team trophy for the 2nd

James Clarke

  • Achieved his 100th finisher medals on 17th September 2016 after 8 years running for promoting Usher Awareness.
  • Completed 39 run races – 17 x half marathons; 1 x 10 miles; 20 x 10K; 1 x 8K in a total of 362 miles.
  • Personal Best at Cheshire Half Marathon :- 1:38:48 – without Run Guide.
  • Took him 4 hours & 37 minutes to complete “The hardest half marathon in Britain” at Box Hill in Surrey. He battled his ran with poor vision/balance on uneven surface, steep steps, tree roots, mud & poor on-ground contrast with total height gain/loss of 3000 feet – equivalent to a Scottish Munro. 

Jamie Matthews

  • Beating the World Top 200 players
  • Berkshire League Champion and Buckinghamshire League Champion
  • Winning a 10th National Deaf Squash Championships
  • Twice beating the current Surrey County Champion in the Surrey League Championships

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