Congratulations to FSDB Staff Member Lindsay Stergio on winning the Gold Medal at the 2023 World Deaf Basketball Championships! The games took place on June 13-24 in Heraklion, Greece.
Lindsay has participated in the USA Deaf Basketball program since 2012. She has competed as a player in the Deaflympics, DIBF World Championships, and Pan American Games. She is also a coach for the U21 World Championships team.
To be selected for the USA Deaf team, all the recruited, veteran, and interested eligible players will attend tryouts and training camps. The coaches choose the top 12 players from that pool of players to compete at the international basketball level.
"I feel honored to wear my USA uniform to represent my country," said Lindsay. "It is an excellent opportunity that many athletes do not get to experience this honorable event. Of course, the bonus of bringing home the gold medal is fantastic, feeling proud and blessed. It's one of those best feelings nobody will ever understand except those gold medalists."
The most challenging part of the whole experience that Lindsay shared was the preparation for the competition. Her teammates live all across the country, which means they aren't able to practice together as a team.
"We only got four days of training/practice as a team before we departed for the tournament," Lindsay stated. "We must be self-disciplined and find the time to stay on top of our basketball skills and keep in shape to prepare for the competition."
Lindsay and the rest of the USA Deaf Basketball team had the opportunity to meet deaf people from other countries. She thought it was unique because of the blending of basketball with culture.
"Conversations, stories, and expressions in universal sign language are so beautiful that it builds more peaceful societies."
Lindsay mentioned that the best part of the experience was developing connections with her teammates. Only being together for two and a half weeks allows them to learn more about each other while eating meals, exploring the country and practicing as a team.
"They are my forever teammates, and I will never forget the memories we created together as a family."
Congratulations to Lindsay and the USA Deaf Basketball team for bringing home the gold medal!
Listed below are Lindsay's accomplishments:
2023 World Championships (Heraklion, Greece) – Gold Medal
2022 Deaflympics (Caxias Do Sul, Brazil) – Gold Medal
2018 U21 World Championships (Washington, DC) – Gold Medal as a Coach
2015 World Championships (Taipei, Taiwan) – Gold Medal & MVP
2013 Deaflympics (Sophia, Bulgaria) – Gold Medal
2012 Pan American Games (Washington, DC) – Gold Medal
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