Gold Medalist, Gordon handed golden opportunity
Last Friday August 11, 2012 marked the beginning of a great adventure for 20-year-old Gordon who is from Long Look/East End. Having already distinguished himself with achievements in the sport of sailing and overcoming adversities continually placed in his way Gordon has been accepted into a century old, world famous educational facility in the heart of the capitol of the United States, within walking distance of the State buildings of Washington DC.
His Excellency, the Governor and the Hon. Julian Fraser R A, Representative for the third district, stood alongside staff, sailors and friends of the BVI Watersports Centre and Special Olympics BVI at Nanny Cay to wish Gordon good luck and present him with flags and charts and souvenirs from home to adorn his new room at university.
Gallaudet University is renowned for its degree courses in the arts, but it also houses an English language Institute, designed to teach attending overseas students to read and write through sign language.
Gordon, the winner of many sailing events including a gold medal in Athens last year as part of the Special Olympics BVI Sailing Team, has been deaf since birth. He attended Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre during his primary schooling, before moving on to the secondary - BVI Technical and Vocational Institute. From the age of twelve, he took part in the Sailability BVI programme, learning to sail and eventually as part of the Sailability Apprenticeship Scheme qualified as a Royal Yachting Association Powerboat Driver as well as benefitting from a part time, work experience placement at Horizon Yacht Charters.
The Special Olympics British Virgin Islands Sailing Team that attended the World Games in Greece in June 2011 consisted of a group of six, young, BVIslanders - four with special needs. The team changed the face of Special Olympics sailing at global level - forever. They competed the way they had been trained by the BVI Watersports Centre to compete – just like able-bodied sailors.
Since his return from the major event last summer, Delroy with the assistance of the Social Development Department, gained fulltime employment at the BVIWSC as a trainee assistant instructor and boatswain.
At the same time, Mrs. Lindy Snethan, a teacher from Cedar International School, volunteered her spare time by vastly improving the young man’s American Sign Language skills and has been a huge influence in achieving Delroy’s acceptance into Gallaudet University. Lindy accompanied Delroy on Sunday as he traveled to Washington and has volunteered to spend the next few days of his orientation and registration period with him, ensuring that he has a friend and communicator in his strange new world.
Gallaudet University is dedicated to deaf education. It has a residential one hundred acre, historic campus fully equipped for its student body. Funds for the forthcoming year are being raised through Special Olympics BVI. Contributors include the Ministry of Education and Culture, Rotary Club Sunrise of Road Town and a donor wishing to remain anonymous who came to the rescue with two thirds of the fees needed as the application deadline for 2012 / 2013 loomed.
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