Holt-Supported Athlete Wins Gold at International Deaflympics

Read how access to healthy and nutritious meals made an impact on one young man’s life — even helping him achieve his goals at the international Deaflympics.

As a child, Erkhembayar never had the chance to go to school.

Born with a hearing impairment, Erkhembayer can communicate through sign language and reading lips — but his hearing loss kept him from thriving in a typical classroom.

Then, Erkhembayar’s parents learned about a class for students with disabilities and special needs at a Holt-supported school near their home in Mongolia. They enrolled him right away!

With access to appropriate educational supports and resources, Erkhembayar began to thrive! His teachers say he is very smart and quickly catching up on his studies. He has great relationships with his teachers and classmates, who say he is always friendly, respectful and ready to help others. He is very motivated, both in his studies and his extracurricular passion — wrestling!

Thanks to the support of Holt sponsors and donors, Erkhembayar always has the energy he needs to work hard in school and sports.

Through monthly gifts from his sponsor, Erkhembayar receives delicious and healthy meals at school to provide him with the nutrition he needs to practice his wrestling skills. He is committed to practicing every day after school, so he is in “top shape!” And according to Holt social workers, Erkhembayar is grateful to be “going to practices with a full stomach.”

Thanks to the support of Holt sponsors and donors, Erkhembayar always has the energy he needs to work hard in school and sports. He even won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 24th Annual Summer Deaflympics in Brazil! His win resulted in the second gold medal brought back to Mongolia in the history of Mongolian Deaf Sports.

A skilled athlete, Erkhembayar previously won a gold medal at the 2016 Junior Deaf Freestyle World Championships in Iran, a silver medal at the 23rd Summer Deaflympics in Turkey in 2017 and a gold medal at the 2018 Deaf Junior World Championships in Russia.

Today, Holt staff in Mongolia continue to provide Erkhembayar with the educational support and encouragement he deserves as he pursues his dreams of becoming an accomplished athlete and well-educated student. And with the help of Holt supporters like you, Erkhembayar never has to worry about his next meal. Thank you for making a bright future possible for Erkhembayar!