Mrs Kath Smith, of Mt Roskill, who has been selected as chaperon for the first official team to represent New Zealand at the International Games for the Deaf, is pictured at right being fitted with a sample of the ceremonial team outfit.
The outfit comprises a short-sleeved cream dress with a round neckline and small collar, a cream straw hat with green ribbon trim, green handbag, black shoes and cream gloves.
A black reefer jacket, grey skirt, white hat with black trimming, black walking shoes, green handbag and white gloves have been chosen for the women to travel in.
The 17-strong team will leave for Washington, where the Games are to be held, on June 17. Mrs Smith and 24-year-old swimming competitor Miss Rossell McKenzie, of Christchurch, are the only two women in the team.
Mrs Smith, mother of two grown-up sons, who has been deaf since she was three years old, has never been out of the country before, although she has travelled all over New Zealand.
“I’ve always been interested in sport,” she said through an interpreter. “When I was young I played basketball and athletics. Now I am a very keen indoor bowler.”
And a very successful indoor bowler she is, too, with New Zealand, North Island and local championships to her credit, not to mention the five Auckland gold medals she has won.
“We’re presenting a remit at the World Conference of the Deaf, which is coinciding with the Games in Washington, to have indoor bowls included in the next Games, because that is a sport very many deaf New Zealanders play.”
Mrs Smith said that if the remit was successful, she would very much like to go to the next Games as a competitor.
Two aspects of the trip Mrs Smith is particularly looking forward to are looking at the shops and visiting Gallaudet College in Washington.
“Gallaudet College is the only college for the deaf in the world. It is an academic college teaching all professions.”
The team will be away for a month and two days altogether.
“We fly to Mexico first, where we spend two nights, and then on to New Orleans, where we stay for two weeks. A special train excursion will take all the representatives of the 32 nations competing to the New York Worlds Fair. And from New York we’ll go to Phoenix and Los Angeles, and then home via San Francisco, Honolulu and Nandi.
Mrs Smith’s husband, Mr S. E. Smith, is the team manager and a delegate for the world conference.
“With 32 nations represented at the games competitors will have to communicate by mime and gesticulations, but we don’t think we’ll have much trouble,” Mrs Smith said.
Mrs Smith will meet Miss McKenzie for the first time this Monday when she arrives in Auckland to train in the tepid pool. Miss McKenzie has been breaking world deaf record times in her training sessions at Christchurch.
“I think we have a good chance of getting medals in wrestling, athletics and swimming,” said Mrs Smith.
