Ella Thornton-Elliott, Awards Advisor (Student Services), has been selected to join Australia’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Women’s Basketball team, the Geckos, for the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo this November.

Ella, who was born with bi-lateral hearing loss, has been playing basketball since the age of 10. Now, as part of the Geckos, she will help represent Australia on the world stage, inspiring and empowering the deaf and hard of hearing community. The Geckos made a remarkable return after a 15-year break, securing second place at the Asia Pacific Deaf Basketball Championships last September to qualify for the Deaflympics.

We wish Ella and the team every success. You can learn more about the team here and support their journey here.