'Deaf athletes like me have to fund ourselves'

A deaf athlete has said he needs to fund his own participation in an international competition.

Swimmer Thomas Harvey told the BBC he must raise £5,000 to compete at the upcoming Deaflympics in Tokyo, after his mum Kristin said he "worked his socks off" over the last 18 months to qualify for the event.

The 16-year-old - who said he got into swimming to overcome a dislike of getting his face wet - said deaf sports were "equally important" as others, though they did not receive the same levels of government funding.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sports said the government was dedicated to making sport "accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people".

It added that it had provided, via Sport England, £1.2m to support deaf sport at the grassroots level.

However, the government does not directly fund athletes competing at the Deaflympics as their remit is Olympic and Paralympic athletes only.

Ms Harvey said she and her son, who usually practices two to three hours a day at Epsom District Swimming Club, have started fundraising for his flights, accommodation and kit to get him to the contest in November.

"We are very proud of him," she told the BBC. "He's worked incredibly hard and deserves to go there and represent the country."

Thomas said he wanted to raise awareness about the Deaflympics as many people had never heard of the contest, which was set up in 1924 to allow deaf athletes to compete against one another and celebrate deaf culture.

"It does not matter much what obstacles you might face, whether it's deafness or another disability, you can still achieve anything as long as you put the work in and stay dedicated," he added.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook or X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.