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For Joseph Morosini, travelling to Japan for the 2025 Deaflympics was an incredible honour and a major milestone in his basketball journey.
Joseph, who is from the Sunshine Coast, has loved sport from a young age. He first started out in soccer when he was five, before basketball became his main focus a few years ago. What has kept him involved in sport is the chance to be competitive, meet new people and keep improving in a game he genuinely loves.
As a deaf athlete, Joseph has had to navigate communication barriers along the way. When he was younger, hearing coaches from across a large soccer field could be difficult, so he used microphones connected to his hearing aids to help him stay involved. Those kinds of adjustments, along with inclusive coaches, helped him continue building confidece in sport.
Representing Australia at the Deaflympics was especially meaningful because Joseph was just 16 when he competed. In his report, he reflected on what a privilege it was to represent his country at such a young age and how the experience reinforced that being deaf is not a limitation, but something he can embrace with pride.
One of the moments Joseph will never forget was walking out onto the court for the first time in his Australian jersey. Another was scoring his first international points, surrounded by teammates cheering him on. Those moments made the experience feel real and reminded him how far he had come.
The Deaflympics also gave Joseph his first real experience of playing deaf basketball without his hearing aids. Learning visual cues, hand signs and new ways of communicating on court pushed him to adapt and become even more focused. Being surrounded by other deaf and hard of hearing athletes also helped him feel part of a bigger community and showed him that he is not alone.
Joseph and his team finished in the top eight, marking Australia’s best result in deaf basketball since the 2000s. With support from Deaf Children Australia’s youth grant, Joseph was able to focus on the experience without the added pressure of high travel costs.
Joseph now hopes to keep developing as a player, represent Australia again and inspire other deaf and hard of hearing young people to pursue the sports they love.
If you want to learn more, please watch the interview below.
