The Taiwanese deaf pickleball team, Silent Heroes, made its debut at the Canadian International Championships earlier this month, where three players won 6 gold and 2 silver medals, stunning competitors from around the world. National pickleball coach Huang Chun-jung (黃俊榮) led players Chiu I-wei (邱奕偉), Chiang Ya-hung (江亞鴻), and Tseng Che-hsuan (曾哲炫) in an outstanding performance that was a dream come true for the athletes.

Huang detailed that because pickleball is not yet an official competition event in the Deaflympics or Asian Games, athletes cannot receive nationally sponsored training or competition funding. Without funding, a fixed training ground, or overseas travel expenses, he said that the team relied on fundraising and personal finances, with Chiang’s mother even mortgaging their car for the travel expenses.

Due to the tight budget, the four shared a room while in Canada, keeping their meals simple to save the budget for the next stop in the United States. Before returning home, they had planned to visit Niagara Falls, but an unexpected incident occurred when a fast-food restaurant employee accidentally spilled boiling hot tea, burning Chiang and Huang and requiring the group to go to the hospital.

Huang stated that the Silent Warriors symbolize how hearing-impaired athletes, even in a world of silence, can bravely stand on the international stage through hard work and strength. He said that more precious than the medals were the friendships they gained from all over the world during this trip.