On Now
Weekdays 15:00 - 18:00
The Joyride Nico, Nikki, Kayla and JayBee
NEXT: 18:00 - 19:00 OFM Business Hour with Olebogeng
Listen Live Streams

OFM Nights

‘Own It!’ Episode 1: Vicki Fourie

───   20:00 Thu, 02 May 2019

‘Own It!’ Episode 1: Vicki Fourie | News Article
Vicki Fourie

Throughout the month of May, OFM Nights will introduce you to various individuals from different backgrounds, who have incredible journeys to share. The first of them is Vicki Fourie from Bloemfontein.


Vicki is a multi-faceted South African young lady who defines her life by the quote 'Courage isn't a gift, it's a decision.'

Even though she has 97% hearing loss, she learnt from an early age how to speak like a hearing person and she excels in lip-reading as means of communication.

She had her first cochlear implant in August 2013, and her second one in February 2015. Vicki is a former Miss Deaf South Africa 2009, as well as Miss Deaf International 2010 1st Princess.

Currently, she's a motivational speaker and has spoken at over 173 schools, functions, churches and events in South Africa.

In 2013 and 2015 she was the leading actress in the theatre play - Kinders Van Stilte - which is an adaptation of 'Children Of A Lesser God'. It was shown at the Vryfees (Bloemfontein) and Aardklop (Potchefstroom).

Her memoir - Viva la Vicki - was published in 2012. Her second book, a devotional - God Lief My - was published in 2014.

She now resides in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Get in touch with Vicki at:

Website: www.vickifourie.com

Facebook: Vicki Fourie Page

Instagram: @fourievicki

Events in May 2019:

Oranje Meisie Laerskool: Monday 13 May 2019

Sand du Plessis Hoërskool: Friday 17 May 2019

Listen to Vicki’s inspirational insert below:

Transcript of talk:

Good evening everyone. I’m Vicki Fourie and I’m a former Miss Deaf South Africa, and now I’m a motivational speaker and published writer.

It is my honour tonight to share with you the one thing that has helped me throughout my life. When I was two years old, my parents found out that I have 97% hearing loss and it came as quite a big shock for the whole family, my parents especially. No one in my family has any degree of hearing loss. I then received hearing aids and it enabled me to hear up to 40%, but I was still very limited some areas of my life. 

The one thing that encouraged me throughout my life was that my family never labelled me as ‘deaf’ or as someone who wouldn’t be able to do things deaf people can’t do. To me this is interesting because I grew up believing that I heard better than the hearing people. I was always obedient and quick to respond; I was always aware of what was going on around me. I was quick to do what was required of me.  I thought my hearing aids gave me special powers.

The thing is, I wasn’t labelled as a deaf person by my family or friends. We simply said that I was someone with hearing loss or even someone with a hearing impairment, or like we say in Afrikaans, ‘Gehoorverlies’ of ‘Gehoorgestremd.’

So it was only after I won Miss Deaf South Africa that people would say, ‘She’s deaf.’ But that didn’t really affect me as a person because I never saw myself as a deaf person. It wasn’t part of my identity because that had never been the way I had been raised.

I would like to challenge you guys tonight and ask the following questions: What is the one thing that is holding you back? What labels do you put on yourself? Do you see yourself as a divorced person? A woman who can’t have children? Someone who failed at university and can’t find a job? Maybe you have a disability as well.  Maybe it’s other people that puts labels on you, saying that you are an addictive person or that you’re someone who will never get far in life. We all tend to label each other and put labels on ourselves.

So… maybe you just need to change your perspective on how you see yourself as a person. It’s our choice to decide whether we will take on labels and make it our identities, who we are as a person. My hearing loss was never my identity, never the way I saw myself. I saw myself simply as Vicki. My name means Victorious and Overcomer, and that is who I am. Who are you?


@ 2024 OFM - All rights reserved Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | We Use Cookies - OFM is a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD.