Please Support Us, Deaf Athlete Urges Government

A north London footballer is pleading with the government to help give deaf athletes the same opportunities as other athletes.

Lucindha Lawson from Crouch End is due to represent Great Britain in the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo next week – the deaf equivalent of the Olympics – after raising the £4,000 entry cost through donations.

Unlike Olympic and Paralympic athletes, Deaflympics competitors are not eligible for grants and must self-fund their participation.

The government said it was “dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people”.

‘Very stressful’

Lawson has represented her country four times at the Deaflympics, a multi-sports event for elite deaf athletes who compete at an international level that takes place every four years.

Speaking to BBC London before reaching her fundraising goal, she said it was “stressful” and “difficult” to raise the money needed to compete.

“We have to ask local communities, charities, businesses to try and raise the money ourselves,” she told BBC London.

“It does affect my career in football.

“It’s very stressful, I am always thinking about the financial aspect, so I might forget about training and it might steer me off the wrong way, whereas if I didn’t have the financial constraints I could just continue (with football).”

She said UK Deaf Sport was going to pay for her to take part, but she would be required to pay back the sum it spends or face being barred from future events.

“I would have to make a repayment plan and pay it out of my own pocket, which really I shouldn’t have to do,” she said.

“I’m representing my country so it’s really disappointing.”

Although she is “really proud” to represent Great Britain, she said she felt “in bit of a trap”.

Being deaf, she is not permitted to take part in the Paralympics and therefore she cannot apply for funding.

Lawson urged the government to “please support us”.

“The Deaflympics is really important to the deaf community,” she said. “This was set up before the Paralympics… but it doesn’t seem like it’s recognised by the government, or world federations.

“Why aren’t we getting funding, because we should all have the same equal opportunities?”

‘Shameful’

Funding for UK Olympians and Paralympians primarily comes from UK Sport, which distributes government and National Lottery money to national governing bodies.

Athletes then receive individual funding through these programmes.

However, there is currently no funding for elite deaf athletes in the UK.

UK Deaf Sport chief executive Chris Ratcliffe told MPs this month it was “shameful” that deaf athletes were missing out on funding.

The government said it could not provide extra funding to high-performance athletes outside of what it already gives “to support Olympic and Paralympic success”.

But it said it did provide £1.2m each year for grassroots activities in deaf sports.