Hadassah overcomes the odds
The seven-year-old from Kloof started karate at the end of 2016 and has won a medal at every competition she has entered.
QUEST Model Bilingual Pilot Project Cottage School for deaf children is proud of its student, Hadassah Birdsey’s karate achievements.
Hadassah recently won silver for Kumite in the orange belt division for her age group at the National Shotokan JKA championships held in Johannesburg recently.
Hadassah started karate with JKA Highway (Sensei Leonardo Ciutto) at the end of 2016 and has bagged medals at every competition she has entered.
She was born deaf, but this was only discovered when she was three years old.
In spite of the late start and balance disability that accompanies her deafness, her sheer determination and the support of her teachers, has seen her embrace her abilities.
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Being deaf means that Hadassah has to work extra hard at following her instructors and she even learns to lip read Japanese.
She said that she loves karate as she loves being part of a team that accepts her the way she is and expects the best from her. She also really appreciates the strong role models in her club.
For people with disabilities, it’s often the attitude of others that is more disabling than the disability itself. A nurturing and accepting environment has seen this seven year old, overcome barriers and find her passion.
Hadassah is not simply trying to ‘fit in’; rather she is discovering the best deaf version of herself, facing challenges bravely and embracing opportunities to try new things.
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