Susie (Suzanne) Ovens

New Zealand athletes stopover at Los Angeles on the way to the World Games for the Deaf in Köln, and make the most of the trip with a visit to Disneyland!

The Sign Singers perform 'Harmony' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in February 1983. They are introduced in sign language, in one of the first examples of a non-Deaf person signing on prime time television.

New Zealand sends 30 athletes to the 15th World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles, with footage of the opening ceremony. The flagbearer for New Zealand was John Ooteman, with Susie Ovens carrying the kiwi mascot. The Gallaudet Dance Company also put on a performance. Footage shows a fly by with a sign saying ‘WELCOME WORLD GAMES FOR THE DEAF’.

It’s not often we get to see four New Zealanders on the podium at the same time, and that is what we get in this video! It's most certainly time to break out the champagne when the team gets back to their base with a speech by the team manager.

Watch Carolyn Hamlin and Janet Watt’s final match in the ladies doubles; they win the game for the gold! In second place is Pam Croskery and Penny Went, both also from New Zealand.

The Sign Singers perform the famous carol 'Silent Night' for the Stars on Sunday programme.

The ‘007’ themed Miss and Mr Deaf New Zealand event, expertly hosted by Victoria Skorikova and Tony Walton was a major fundraising event for the 2nd Asia Pacific Deaf Youth Camp. It was organised in 5 weeks and raised $7,000 towards camp costs.

The New Zealand Deaf team marched on Dominion Road, accompanied by police, with farewell speeches at Auckland Deaf Society before departing for the 15th World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles.

The grit! The determination! The hours of practice! Finally it’s game day for the first Deaf Netball New Zealand versus Australia in Manawatu. Watch highlights of the gameplay followed by expert post-match analysis and limbo shenanigans at MDS. Good times.

The NZ team returns from the XIV World Games for the Deaf, Köln, Germany 1981.

The Auckland Deaf community gathers for the Miss Deaf Auckland competition, organised by Adrienne Killen. The top three are selected to represent Auckland in the upcoming Miss Deaf New Zealand pageant.