31/07/2026
2026 Australian Deaf Games
South Australia report ( bit delayed - apologies)
Team SA’s Australian Deaf Game updates:
Good afternoon South Australia!
With the Games now wrapped up, yours truly is once again able to present you all with a recap of what’s been happening over the final few days of the games as some of our sports did not have medal presentation until Friday so the results took their time to trickle back to me to be able to update you all.
First! Let’s start with a recap of previous sports results:
In Beach Volleyball we netted both the gold and silvers in men’s pairs.
In Golf we received a bronze in women’s gross and apparently a bronze as well in mixed team
In Lawn bowls (technically Victorian Team news but our lone SA bowler was playing with the Victorians), unfortunately this year wasn’t their year but I’m proud of them and feel they did fantastic considering the greens were not in their favour!
Now onwards to the next four sports that we had South Australians competing in, starting with Chess:
I would love to say Chess was a resounding success sport for us once more but it was a mixed bag although our juniors did so, so well in chess, with Ethan Hunter, our captain scoring a bronze for juniors section which is a fantastic achievement in its own right as he consistently was in the top five every single day of the chess competition. Riley Maggs also has improved in leaps and bounds since Newcastle, earning a personal best rank during the competition as has our surprise newcomer, who had literally started playing on Wednesday, earning themselves several wins!
As for myself, this year was unfortunately not my year in the seniors Chess although I have improved a fair bit but I still have a long way to go in terms of skill and knowledge.
The Victorians along with Queensland were really strong and gave us a great challenge on the boards, which made the game a bit more exciting as we had to think pretty fast on our seats!
In conclusion, I can see a brilliant future in ADG chess ahead of all three of our junior players representing SA and I hope they continue to play in this ‘sport’ and travel across the country to compete again in 2030. Speaking of which, I am actually already making plans for chess in SA so keep an eye and ear out for that.
Over in Table tennis, Brenton Peters has proved himself to be the MVP player of the competition, netting himself two silvers, one of them for the free for all competition and the other for coming second in state teams competition. Not only he got Silvers, he also won himself two golds, with one of the gold in mixed doubles and the last one as MVP of the sports. He has a bright future ahead of him if he continues to represent SA and also Australia in the Deaf competitions. Definitely one to watch!
Meanwhile on a different kind of court, Macy Lane continues to excel herself while representing SA in Tennis, netting herself not one but two gold medals! Congratulations Macy on your wins, and hopefully we will see you on the courts again in 2030 if not sooner for the Oceania Games.
Lastly but not least, we have Monique Beckwith-Maggs conquering the waters much like her husband who conquered the land in beach volleyball, netting us and becoming SA’s MVP for ADG 2026, a total of…
NINE GOLDS.
A very outstanding result, especially with it being an almost very last minute decision to change from her original plan of competing in beach volleyball and netball to represent us in Swimming. Maybe Monique will continue to rule the waters in Oceania Games in 2028 or in ADG 2030?? Keep tuned over the next 4 years to find out!
SA has bought home a total of:
14 Golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronzes.
We also placed 5th in the JML cup, ahead of ACT with WA nipping by us to claim 4th place, followed by Victoria in third, and NSW taking the cup back home for another four years, beating Queensland to first place.
Once again, congratulations to all of our athletes on competing regardless of your own results and skills, and on behalf of SA, thank you all for representing us at the Games.
It was a great, albeit chaotic (in both good and bad ways) Games and I am looking forward to what the Western Australia teams will bring to the table as the hosts with the games being held in Bunbury WA in 2030!
See you all in 2030, (if not sooner with the Oceania Games in 2028!)
Candice Willanski, 2024-2026 ADG State Manager
(Images: Macy Lane holding strong on tennis courts despite the weather; Monique Beckwith-Maggs dominating the waters despite it being freezing that evening!)
