FAST Running’s elite para athlete and University of Canberra Student, Nate Halpin has set qualification for the 2025 Tokyo Deflympics as his next major goal. The Deaflympics are held every four years, and are the longest running multi-sport event in history after the Olympics.
To qualify for the games, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 dB in their “better ear”. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, and the like are not allowed to be used in competition, to place all athletes on the same level.
Nate who holds Australian Records (T01) in sprinting is very familiar with the requirements for competing at the highest levels. The Deflympics would be Nate’s first international athletics competition.
Deaf Athletes cannot join the Paralympics as there are no Paralympic category for athletes who are only Deaf. The Paralympic Games already faces strict limitation on the number of competitors. Deaf athletes participating in the Deaflympics get an opportunity to enjoy that same Olympic experience as their hearing counterparts.
Nate will be hoping to improve on his personal bests in the 100m and the 200m to qualify for the 2025 Tokyo Games. He has already made huge improvements in the last 3 months since returning to training and is doing all the additional training required to compete successfully at the elite level.
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