Sporting Hero Profiles

Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick OAM
‘Deaf Queen of the Pool’

Australia's most decorated & talented deaf swimmer known by many as the “Deaf Queen of the Pool”.

In her six consecutive Deaflympic Games appearances, spanning a 20 year period from 1977 to 1997, Cindy-Lu won 19 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze Deaflympic medals. She competed in the 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, the 200m individual medley and the 400m individual medley during her domination of the pool at Deaflympic Games. She has also appeared at two Commonwealth Games (1982 & 1986) and two Pan-Pacific Championships.

Cindy-Lu has broken Deaflympic World Records an unbelievable twelve times, four of these world records still stand today.

In 2002, CISS awarded Cindy-Lu with two highest honours, the CISS Medal of Honour and was recognised as one of the Deaflympians of the Century.

In 2005, Cindy-Lu was named as one of Patrons of Melbourne 2005 - 20th Deaflympic Games and torch bearer who lit the flame at the Opening Ceremony. It was a fitting tribute to an athlete who competed at the highest level of sport and has one of the greatest records at Deaflympics of any athlete.

Andrew Swan MBE
‘Deaf King of Skiing’

Australia's most inspired deaf skier.

• 4 Winter Deaflympics - 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987.
• 6 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze Deaflympics medals.
• First non-European to win Gold.
• Third skier to win two Gold medals in thirty six years of the competition.
• Coached for 14th Winter Deaflympics Games - Davos, Switzerland 1999.

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Joanne Lambert
‘Deaf First Lady of Marathon’

Australia's outstanding long distance deaf runner.

• 5 Deaflympics - 1985, 1989, 1997, 2001, 2005.
• 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Deaflympics medals.
• Broke 4 Deaf World Athletics Records in 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m - 3 still stand today.
• 2 Gold - 1994 International Deaf Athletics meet, Berlin - 800m & 1,500m.
• Gold - 1998 Victorian Athletics League (Professional) - 10km.
• Gold - 1999 Half Marathon Championships, Adelaide.
• Gold - 1999 Half Marathon Championships, Melbourne.

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Peter Walters
‘Deaf Squash Legend’

A remarkable Australian deaf athlete for longevity and invincibility in squash.

Peter began playing squash in 1968 at the age of 12. He practiced every day and that spurred him onto higher squash levels. He made the State Junior Under 19 Team where he stayed for three years. At that time his achievements included:

• Number 3 South Australian Junior Under 19 squash player (hearing) at the age of 16
• Number 1 South Australian Junior Under 19 squash player (hearing) at the age of 17 and 18 in 1973 and 1974
• Number 9 Australian Junior Under 19 squash player at the age of 18 in 1974
• Number 7 South Australian Mens squash player in 1975

When squash was introduced in the Australian Deaf Games (ADG) in Adelaide in 1976/77, Peter won the first ever Men’s Championship. Then, in all of his ten consecutive ADG appearances, spanning a 31 year period to 2008, Peter won a record 10 consecutive wins in a row for the Australian Men's Squash Individual Deaf Championships and incredibly has never been defeated.

Peter surpassed the winning-streak records of the Victorian Deaf Netball and Men's Deaf Table Tennis teams.

• 1991 SA Deaf Sportsperson of the Year 
• 2001 Stan Wickham Award (5RPH)
• 2001 - Peter represented Australia in the 1st International Deaf Squash Tournament in the UK, winning gold in the Individual Championships and the Team Event also
• 2003 - 2nd International Deaf Squash Tournament in Holland - Peter won the team event, ensuring Australia finished second and he finished 3rd in the Individual Championships
• 2005 - 3rd International Deaf Squash Championships in Melbourne, Australia - Peter won the team event and came 2nd in the Individual Championships
• 2007 - 4th International Deaf Squash Championships - Peter won the team event and came 3rd in the Individual Championships
• 2007 - Peter was awarded Life Membership of Deaf Sports Recreation of South Australia in recognition for his outstanding services to deaf sports in the last 23 years in S.A. 
• 2008 - XV Australian Deaf Games - Peter was awarded the Athlete of the Games award

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