Birgit Hermann
Dear Patroness Ms. Katarina Witt,
dear athletes, dear athletes,
love sports friends, love sports lovers,
in January 2020 it is finally time! The “Snowfestival 2020”, a very important international event, takes place in beautiful Bavaria. The venue will be the contemplative Nesselwang – in the Bavarian-Swabian district of Ostallgäu. Thus, a home game for the Bavarian Deaf Sports Association and the Bavarian Deaf Sports Youth. For three whole days – from 23.01.2020 up to and including 25.01.2020 – the health resort will turn into a winter sports paradise for people with hearing impairment. Very creative sports events such as snow volleyball will be held here. I am especially looking forward to the 1st German Curling Championship of the Deaf, which will be held at the Federal Performance Center in Füssen. Already in 2014 and 2018 I was allowed to accompany the German national team for people with hearing impairment to the European Championship in Sochi / Russia and Switzerland.
Other highlights include the European Cup for snowboarding and alpine skiing, biathlon and cross country championships. In total there will be 6 sports in January 2020. There will also be an interesting and exciting supporting program. Personally, I’m really looking forward to it. I especially want to thank the Aktion Mensch, the city of Nesselwang and the main sponsors. Without this financial support, it would never have been possible to get such a big event going.
Special thanks also go to the Katarina Witt Foundation. Ms. Witt, 2-time gold medal winner at the Olympic Games, will personally accompany the sporting event as patron. I’m really looking forward to the exchange with Mrs. Witt! It will certainly be a great honor to communicate with such a big winter sports icon.
Already in 2013 – at the 1.Ski Alpine World Championships for the Deaf – in Nesselwang, the BGS and the DGS had some positive experiences with the winter sports resort in the Allgäu. The Bayerische Gehörlosensport wishes the Deutsche Gehörlosen-Sportjugend much success with the “Projekt Snowfestival 2020”. I am particularly pleased that our 1st Youth Chairman David Holler (BGSJ) has taken over such a great leadership of the organization (CEO).
I wish all athletes participating in the winter sports spectacle much fun in the sport, good luck and fair competitions. I wish the visitors and spectators exciting and entertaining hours in Bavaria. We look forward to seeing you all and welcome you warmly in the Bavarian Government of Schwaben to the “Snow Festival” in January 2020!
See you in January. The anticipation is increasing more and more! Let’s all hope for a lot of snow!