My name is Felix Wahala and I am a deaf competitive cyclist.

1.

Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of representing Germany at the World Championships and the Deaflympics as a member of the German national deaf team.

2.

I am the reigning vice-world champion in the points race and, in all road disciplines at the Deaflympics, I proved myself to be the best German competitor and secured several top-10 finishes.

3.

My motivation is to establish myself as a world-class athlete whilst, at the same time, raising the profile of sport for the deaf.

I was introduced to sport at an early age, as we went on daily cycling trips whilst on holiday. At the age of 8, I was introduced to structured training through the martial art of Kung Fu.

The focus of the training was on discipline, precision and inclusion.

Apart from on holiday, when I was growing up, my bike was simply a means of getting to school, to training sessions and to see friends.

After finishing school, I moved to Austria to teach skiing and snowboarding, and rediscovered cycling. When I took part in the Roth Triathlon as part of a family relay team, my performance caught the eye of the cycling coordinator at the GBF Munich Deaf Sports Club.

I accepted his invitation to the German Deaf Championships and won my first title in the individual time trial in the amateur category. I then obtained an elite licence and finished on the podium the following year; a year later, I managed to secure the German Elite Championship title in both the road race and the individual time trial in Landshut.

This year, I took part in my first international competitions as a deaf athlete. At the World Deaf Cycling Championships, I finished as runner-up in the points race, came fourth in the individual time trial and seventh in the sprint event.

I proved myself to be the best German competitor in all road disciplines at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, securing several top-10 finishes.

The World Deaf Cycling Championships will take place from 5 July to 11 August 2027 in Londrina, Brazil.

The Deaflympics will be taking place in Athens, Greece.