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LocalNews8.com Idaho Falls, Pocatello - Weather, News, Sports - Deaf Wrestling Being Heard From in Pocatello
Wrestler Roger Stewart competes in a world of silence. No roar or cheers from the crowd. Just the satisfaction of a job well done.
Roger is the first deaf wrestler to compete in the traditional olympic trials.
"It was exciting being at the olympic team trials, with the rest of the hearing wrestlers," says Stewart. "Cause I wanted to show the hearing wrestlers that there's no difference between the two cultures of deaf and hearing. It just felt exciting that I became the first deaf wrestler to do that."
Now in the Gate City for the deaf olympic trials, Roger is in a considerably different mindset than just a few years ago. At the last deaf olympics, Roger placed 6th. but after knowing success on a larger stage, he's now gunning to be the best of the best.
"My next goal is to go to the 2012 London hearing olympics," says Stewart. "But first, 2009, Taiwan, deaf olympics, I want to bring home the gold."
The deaf wrestling team was created just 8 years ago, by two coaches, Rob Vialpando and Maurice Abenchuan.
"I had been wanting to develop deaf wrestling for a long time," says Vialpando.
The rules have been bent slightly to allow the deaf and hard of hearing wrestlers to compete in the hearing world. For instance, an extra person, generally the interpreter is allowed on the mat, but that's not always an advantage.
"They don't wrestle with their ears, they wrestle with their skills," says Vialpando. "Actually, being deaf is an advantage, we don't hear the noise, we're focused. I've even used the sign language and the voice to trick the other hearing coaches."
Once the team is selected in Pocatello, they will travel and compete around the world, before making their way to the 2009 deaf olympics in Taipei, Taiwan.
"We really wanna break every barrier, and get through that, and it's really a challenge," signs coach Maurice Abenchuan through an interpreter. "And it's something that I really like to see is us breaking through those boundaries."
Roger's talent will go a long way towards breaking those barriers, and leading the way for deaf athletes. Stewart is perfectly okay with that.
"I'm about supporting my deaf to move into both worlds," says Vialpando. "We have some outstanding athletes who could probably win in the hearing world, and I'm hoping Roger will be one of the primary ones."
"It's not where you start, it's where you finish," says Roger. "Just keep that in your mind and your heart, and you will get that gold"
Wrestler Roger Stewart competes in a world of silence. No roar or cheers from the crowd. Just the satisfaction of a job well done.
Roger is the first deaf wrestler to compete in the traditional olympic trials.
"It was exciting being at the olympic team trials, with the rest of the hearing wrestlers," says Stewart. "Cause I wanted to show the hearing wrestlers that there's no difference between the two cultures of deaf and hearing. It just felt exciting that I became the first deaf wrestler to do that."
Now in the Gate City for the deaf olympic trials, Roger is in a considerably different mindset than just a few years ago. At the last deaf olympics, Roger placed 6th. but after knowing success on a larger stage, he's now gunning to be the best of the best.
"My next goal is to go to the 2012 London hearing olympics," says Stewart. "But first, 2009, Taiwan, deaf olympics, I want to bring home the gold."
The deaf wrestling team was created just 8 years ago, by two coaches, Rob Vialpando and Maurice Abenchuan.
"I had been wanting to develop deaf wrestling for a long time," says Vialpando.
The rules have been bent slightly to allow the deaf and hard of hearing wrestlers to compete in the hearing world. For instance, an extra person, generally the interpreter is allowed on the mat, but that's not always an advantage.
"They don't wrestle with their ears, they wrestle with their skills," says Vialpando. "Actually, being deaf is an advantage, we don't hear the noise, we're focused. I've even used the sign language and the voice to trick the other hearing coaches."
Once the team is selected in Pocatello, they will travel and compete around the world, before making their way to the 2009 deaf olympics in Taipei, Taiwan.
"We really wanna break every barrier, and get through that, and it's really a challenge," signs coach Maurice Abenchuan through an interpreter. "And it's something that I really like to see is us breaking through those boundaries."
Roger's talent will go a long way towards breaking those barriers, and leading the way for deaf athletes. Stewart is perfectly okay with that.
"I'm about supporting my deaf to move into both worlds," says Vialpando. "We have some outstanding athletes who could probably win in the hearing world, and I'm hoping Roger will be one of the primary ones."
"It's not where you start, it's where you finish," says Roger. "Just keep that in your mind and your heart, and you will get that gold"