How 3×3 Olympic champion Miezis overcame childhood bullying to become a hero for the deaf
PARIS (France) – Enduring bullying at school amid a tough childhood, Nauris Miezis’ rise into a Latvian Olympic hero seemed unlikely at a young age.
The 33-year-old Miezis, along with teammate Karlis Lasmanis, is gunning to win a second consecutive Olympic gold medal – a feat only accomplished by one other athlete from Latvia.
Blessed with mesmerizing skills mixed with fearlessness under pressure, memorably again coming to the fore during an MVP run in Olympic qualification earlier this year, it’s easy to envision Miezis having swagger in his formative years at school.
But when Miezis started kindergarten he mostly kept to himself, leading his classmates to think he was shy or withdrawn because he didn’t utter a word.
It quickly became apparent that this gangly boy didn’t know how to speak and had never been taught before. With his parents both deaf, Miezis’ first language was through hand gestures.
He communicated with his parents through sign language, but in his first days at school he was a fish out of water and his classmates didn’t know how to interact with him.
Fortunately with the help of a dedicated teacher, Miezis soon learned how to speak Latvian but his childhood proved difficult.
In the uncompromising world of the schoolyard, the slightly built Miezis endured bullying by unsympathetic students. His tormentors were unmerciful once they found out that Miezis’ parents and sister were deaf.
It got to almost breaking point where he felt ashamed being seen with his parents as he knew it would fuel more tirades from the bullies.
“When they knew my parents were deaf they gave me a tough time every day. It was very hard for me,” he once recalled.
He needed an outlet for his frustration and found a suitable one on the basketball court, which quickly became his sanctuary. Miezis eventually found his calling in 3×3 and has become one of the urban sport’s signature players.
Such the respect from his Latvian compatriots that Miezis received the huge honor of being a flag-bearer for his country at the opening ceremony in Paris.
He has put his heart and soul into 3×3, winning almost every major prize with the highlight being Latvia’s unforgettable triumph at the Tokyo Olympics. Relishing the pressure of the big stage, the 6ft. 3in (1.91m) Miezis repeatedly hit big shots to etch his name in Olympic lore.
Fronting the press in the aftermath, Miezis sent a touching message to his parents and sister through sign language in footage that went viral worldwide.
Having achieved a feat that those he went to school with would never have imagined possible, Miezis has become a highly popular athlete in his country and an ambassador for 3×3.
But having had a taste of gold, Miezis isn’t nearly done. He further demonstrated his clutch credentials earlier this year in Hong Kong to almost single-handedly power Latvia, who played without Lasmanis, into the Paris Olympics.
Miezis was at his absolute brilliant best in the semis against the Netherlands as he outdueled superstar Worthy de Jong with a game-high 10 points, including the clutch 2-piece in OT.
Along with Lasmanis, Miezis is the only 3×3 gold medalist in Paris and he will be fuelled by the memories of Tokyo.
And he will hope to once again pay an emotional tribute to his loved ones, with a gold medal draped around his neck, continuing a remarkable journey for this Latvian Olympic legend who was demeaned as a kid.
FIBA
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