Joshua Dalton ('12), an electrical engineering graduate, is preparing to represent the United States as a competitor in the 22nd Summer Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria, which takes place July 26-Aug. 4.
The USA Deaf Sports Federation is sending 120 athletes, who are deaf or hard of hearing, to compete in 10 different sports. Dalton will compete as part of the USA Summer Deaflympics Bowling Team.
Dalton's father, Larry, first took him bowling when he was a young child. Larry, who also is deaf, was a talented bowler.
"When my father found out I was deaf, he started teaching me what he knew," Dalton says. "I've been bowling since before elementary school. My dad made it to the Professional Bowlers Association when he was 19, and seeing his success inspired me."
Dalton was a member of UNT's bowling club while he was a student. He credits the coach and fellow members with helping him develop his skills and prepare for a competition like the Deaflympics.
"Being on the UNT team really helped me build competitive experience," he says.
Dalton, who has bowled a perfect score of 300 six times, is working on a master's degree in telecommunications engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.
The athletes participating in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics come from more than 80 countries, and Dalton looks forward to meeting his competition and experiencing world cultures.
"It feels like a world championship game," he says. "I'll be going up against the world's best, and I'm looking forward to that."
