Faith Wylie stands on the field after winning the gold with the USDWNST. PHOTOS BY MARK WYLIE
Faith Wylie hugs a teammate on the field after the gold medal match. PHOTOS BY MARK WYLIE.
DSHS senior wins Olympic gold
Faith Wylie, a graduating senior and soccer player at Dripping Springs High School, competed in the XXIV Summer Deaflympic Games earlier this month. Last week, she took home the gold.
Wylie is a member of the U.S. Deaf Women’s National Soccer Team, part of the nonprofit USA Deaf Soccer Association. This year, the team traveled to Caxias Do Sul, Brazil, to compete in the Deaflympics, an international multi-sport event with approximately 4,500 deaf athletes and teams from over 100 countries. The women have brought home the gold every year since the first time they appeared in the games in 2005.
The USDWNST are also the reigning 2012 and 2016 Deaf World Cup Champions.
The competition began with a game against Brazil on May 3. USA won, 4-0. The team played Japan on May 7 and won 1-0, with Wylie scoring the game-winning goal. In a match with Kenya on May 9, USA scored a whopping 13 goals to Kenya’s 0.
After a victory over Poland on May 11, both teams made it to the gold medal match on May 15. The rematch between the two ended in a USA win, 4-2, with Wylie scoring another game-winning goal.
Wylie is committed to play soccer at Murray State College in the fall.