Deaf swimmer honoured

Twenty-four-year-old deaf Christchurch swimmer, Miss Rossell MacKenzie is pictured showing her honorary membership certificate of the Auckland Surf Life Saving Association to her teammates in the New Zealand team that leaves tomorrow night for the International Games for the Deaf.

From left are Owen Gibbons, of Takapuna (basketball), Colin Goodhue, Northland (table tennis) and Ken McDiarmid, Wellington (basketball).

The certificate was presented to Miss MacKenzie at a civic farewell this morning by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr D. M. Robinson, “in recognition of Miss MacKenzie’s dedicated service to the surf life-saving movement.”

Miss MacKenzie, who has been deaf all her life, is a member of the South Brighton Surf Life-Saving Club. She has been in the six-place women’s team for the past four years. The team has won the national title over the past six years.

The 17-man team, the first full New Zealand team to be sent to the Deaf Games, will compete in Washington, D.C., with more than 1000 deaf athletes from 36 countries.