Last weekend, Deaf Sports Australia held its Annual General Meeting. Nominations for Life Members have been submitted by Deaf Golf Australia and after endorsement from the DSA Board, members of Deaf Sports Australia accepted the following individuals to become appointed Life Members at Deaf Sports Australia due to their substantial commitments in Golf:

  • Gavin Balharrie
  • Tony Klimek

About Gavin Balharrie
Gavin Balharrie has been commended for being an excellent leader and mentor for Australian Deaf Golf. He has also been instrumental in bringing Australia’s first ever World Deaf Sport Championship, by bringing the World Deaf Golf Championship to Perth in 2008. Gavin is recognised for his tremendous efforts in the following roles:

  • Player, Committee and Secretary for Deaf Golf Victoria and Deaf Golf Australia, including being a President (Gavin was a secretary for ten years)
  • Victorian team member since 2003 Australian Deaf Games
  • Board member and Secretary of World Deaf Golf Federation and Championships tournament Director since 2012
  • Golf Technical Director for two Deaflympics (2017 and 2021)
  • Chef de Mission with Australian Team to Deaflympics in 2013
  • Director for Golf at the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf

About Tony Klimek
Tony Klimek has been in golf for 44 years (since 1979) and is a strong leader and supporter of deaf golf from beginning of Deaf Golf organisation. He is also an elite deaf golfer. Tony currently assists with golf clinics for deaf/hard of hearing people in Western Australia. He is responsible for compiling a history book for the 25th Anniversary Deaf Golf Association (1970 – 1995). The following list outlines the roles that Tony have been involved in:

  • A golf player, administrator (for WA) and representative since 1979
  • Participated in World Deaf Golf Championships 8 times since 1995
  • Founding member of the newly formed World Deaf Golf Federation in 1994
  • Been to the Australian Deaf Games since 1979

Additionally, Tony represented and managed the Australian team in Silent Chess in Hungary and Scotland.

Gavin Balharrie and Tony Klimek’s biographies have been add to Deaf Sports Australia’s Life Members webpage.

Media contact:
Lauren Townsend
info@deafsports.org.au