I'm currently in Chia-Yi, Taiwan as I serve in my role as the media director for the United States Deaflympic team as they prepare at training camp for the 21st Summer Deaflympics starting this Friday in Taipei, Taiwan.
This is my second stint covering the Deaflympics, the first being the 19th Summer Deaflympics in Rome, Italy in 2001. Eight years ago, I was part of a four-person media contingent that covered the U.S. team. Let me tell you something, it was a hellacious job as I had to cover nearly fifteen different sports. I averaged less than five hours of sleep a day during the duration of the Deaflympics.
I've been here in Taiwan for the last five days, and let me tell you folks back home in America something - the hospitality that the Taiwanese people and government have given the Americans are amazing - simply amazing. The hotel we are staying at for the training camp (at National Chung Cheng University) is phenomenal. They have gone far and beyond their call of duty.
Not only that, the country has taken Deaflympics very seriously. According to reports from the official Deaflympics website, the government has spent over twenty million dollars on operating, advertising, and publicity of the Deaflympics. It's everywhere. Seriously.
At the Taipei International Airport, there were billboards and advertising slogans plastered on the walls of the concourses.
At a rest stop along the highway, there were water bottles and energy drinks covered with the Taipei Deaflympics logo.
On television, there are commercials for the Deaflympics. And of course everyone knows about Jackie Chan and Scottie Pippen pitching the Deaflympics through different online videos and press conferences.
This is a big thing, and a real big honor for Taiwan. This is the biggest international sporting event to take place in Taiwan, and it just so happens that it is a Deaflympic event.
Already the Deaflympics of Taipei, Taiwan have broken two records of Deaflypmics history... the number of participating countries and the number of athletes/officials registered: 85 and 4,262, respectively.
This will figure to be the biggest Deaflympics ever - and I truly think Taiwan is up for the challenge! If you can, I strongly suggest checking out news updates at www.deaflympics.tv and the official U.S. website at www.usdeaflympics.org. It'll be a blast of ten days of Deaflympics gold!
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