Our Lady of the Assumption parishioner Kate Ward traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, this summer, participating in the 2013 Deaflympics, hosted by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.

Kate, the daughter of Tony and Joan Ward, is a member of the U.S. Deaf National Women’s Soccer Team.

She scored the first goal against the Russian Federation in the gold medal match. Team USA went on to win 2-1, earning its third straight Deaflympic gold medal.

She’s no stranger to earning the gold. In 2009 Kate traveled with the team to Taipei to play in the Deaflympics. She scored two goals in the final.

Last summer, Kate was a member of the U.S. Deaf Soccer World Team, which won the gold in Ankara, Turkey, at the 2012 World Deaf Football Championships. She is one of the most accomplished women in the world in this competitive arena.

Kate is a sophomore at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., where she plays soccer. She is a 2012 graduate of St. Pius X High School in Atlanta and a graduate of Our Lady of the Assumption School. While in high school, Kate served OLA parish as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and youth ministry retreat leader.