MR Deaf SA, Gerard Kroese said it was during his rugby career that he wished that he could hear.
“I really yearned to hear my team mates calling out for me and the crowd cheering.
Gerard was born deaf but it was only discovered when he was 10 months old. He communicates by reading people’s lips and wears two cochlear implants which makes hearing and interacting with people possible. The 23-year-old from from Pretoria recently moved to Pinetown because of his work.
He was crowned the first Mr Deaf SA last year in October.
He said he did not known how to feel when he was announced the winner as he is a sportsman and has never entered a beauty pageant.
“It was all new for me but I was very happy because I entered the pageant as a platform to help and motivate deaf people.”
Gerard said the competition was a bit tough and believes that the marketing he did for the pageant had a huge impact. He also won the public choice award.
“Taking part in the pageant taught me a lot of things and I had a chance to meet and interact with other deaf people. We were able to share our experiences and the challenges deaf people face.”
He said many deaf people are not up-to-date with the latest technologies.
“I want to open their eyes and expose them to opportunities. I have just recently bought a watch which is connected to my alarm and cellphone and helps me to hear the door bell. It’s little things like this that help us. We miss out on many opportunities because we are unaware of alternative methods and solutions that could help us in a hearing world.
“It does really makes life a bit difficult.
“In case of emergencies, the deaf also need to be accommodated to call or text an ambulance or the police. I know that with technology, an ‘SMS line for emergencies could be set up to get us help sooner,” he said.
Gerard said his favourite sport is cricket, he played for the SA Deaf cricket team. He played in the team that represented SA last year in the Deaf Cricket World Cup held in Dubai.
He said his highlight was receiving a trophy from AB DeVilliers after he was awarded South Africa Deaf Cricketer of the Year in 2016.
Gerard also enjoys athletics and competed in the deaflympics in 2013. He played rugby when he was still at school.
He has a B.Com degree in Business Management, Honours in Logistics Management which he obtained from the University of Pretoria and has done short term insurance course through Unisa.
Gerard will represent SA in Mr Deaf World held in the Czech Republic in July and has been asked to be the brand ambassador for the Talk Sign campaign.
The former Pretoria resident said he is enjoying Durban as he loves the beach and the traffic here is “nothing compared to Gauteng.”
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