For 128 years, the modern Olympic Games have been an exciting time for countries across the globe to showcase their finest athletes. While we eagerly anticipate the 2024 Games to begin in Paris on July 26, it’s a great time to reflect on the men and women who have traveled great distances and overcome life’s challenges to play some of the most important games of their lives. Here are some notable current and past U.S. Olympic athletes with hearing loss who excelled at the highest level of competition.
David Smith, Volleyball
Smith first appeared on the USA men’s volleyball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He has since appeared at all following Games and will again support his team as middle blocker at the 2024 Games. Smith has shared his challenges and opportunities growing up nearly completely deaf and stated that sports have been “a unique way of…integrating myself with the normal hearing world.” To be a star athlete, Smith relies on using hearing aids and lip reading to communicate with teammates during fast-paced sets. “I’m the only one that can hold me back from doing what I want to do,” states Smith.
Marie Roethlisberger, Gymnastics Alternate
Following her grandparents, father, and brother to the Olympics for gymnastics, Roethlisberger faced her competition in 1984 with the added obstacle of hearing loss. After contracting meningitis at age two, she has been deaf in one ear and uses a hearing aid to treat severe hearing loss in the other. Like Smith, she found athletics to boost her confidence and feelings of inclusivity with peers. As gymnastic floor gymnastic routines require music, her solution was to use music with heavy bass segments to allow her to “feel” the beats on the floor. Roethlisberger went on to be a decorated athlete at the University of Minnesota and won the uneven bars title at the 1990 NCAA championships.
Jeff Float, Swimming
After winning 10 gold medals at the World Games for the Deaf in 1977 and gold at the 1982 World Championships, Float qualified to compete with the USA men’s swimming team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California. There, Float became the first deaf Olympic swimmer to receive a gold medal. With only 10% hearing in his left ear and 35% in his right ear, he recalls that one of his most distinct memories is feeling the reverberation of cheers from the stands after he won the 4x200 meter freestyle.
Tamika Catchings, Basketball
An outspoken advocate for hearing aids, Catchings has also been an exceptional example of a hard-working athlete and team player. She has won four consecutive gold medals for the USA from 2002-2016. Catchings noted that her lifelong hearing loss was her “superpower” as an athlete and made her more observant to what was going on around the court. She played her full 16-year professional basketball career with Indiana Fever and in 2021, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Chris Colwill, Diving
Diagnosed with 65% hearing loss as a child, Colwell was enrolled in swimming and diving at the age of five to channel his energy and find structure. By 14, he had become a world champion. Colwell has stated that his hearing loss allowed him to focus better than most athletes by alleviating distracting crowd noise. He relied on hearing aids when outside of the water to discuss improvements with his trainers. He competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and is now training other decorated athletes at the University of Georgia.
As we learn more about athletes in this year’s Games and beyond, we look forward to cheering on more individuals with hearing loss as they champion their sport. These athletes share a common characteristic of determination and show how far we can reach with the support of family, friends, and hearing aid technology. If hearing loss keeps you from playing at the top of your game – through athletics, work, or relationships - speak with a licensed hearing care professional to find a treatment method best suited for your unique needs.
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