A Soccer Player With a Cochlear Implant

My name is Lara. I’m from Austria, and I play soccer. My bilateral cochlear implants help me when I play soccer, at school, and in my daily life, and they enable me to enjoy my life to the fullest.

The Best Chances With Cochlear Implants

I grew up in a very sporty family. When I was quite young, I decided I wanted to play soccer. My parents, however, weren’t thrilled—they had some concerns since I’m deaf in both ears. But I was persistent and managed to convince them.

When I was nine months old, my parents decided I should get bilateral cochlear implants. I can’t remember that time, so I can only say what my parents have told me about what they experienced then. My mom says that she would choose cochlear implants every day if she had to make the decision again. She believes it was the best choice and thinks of my cochlear implants as an extremely welcome gift.

Support From All Sides

My hearing journey wasn’t easy, so mental resilience was important. Starting in pre-school, I regularly went to a speech therapist. That led to me being able to speak clearly, so today, I don’t have any problems learning new languages.

I learned a lot from speech therapy, and it was very important. My speech therapist motivated me a lot, and I thought of my appointments with her as opportunities to improve my hearing. I’m very thankful for that. On top of that, my family, teachers, and classmates supported me right from the start wherever they could.

What’s Special About My SONNET 2s

• Compared to previous audio processors, I like my SONNET 2s’ great sound quality.
• The easy handling is also a plus.
• Since I’ve switched from disposable to rechargeable batteries, I’ve been able to save a lot. But just in case, I always have disposable batteries with me, especially on long trips.
• I also love being able to listen to music.
• The fact that the audio processors are water resistant is worth mentioning since it can suddenly begin to rain, and wearing a rain jacket on the soccer field isn’t an option.
• Since I just use a headband to secure my audio processor without covering the microphone or microphone cover, it doesn’t really affect my hearing.

3 Tips for Playing Soccer With a Cochlear Implant

Soccer is a team sport, so communication is key. Here are three tips for always being ready to hear when playing:

The Advantages of My Cochlear Implants When Doing Sports

A big advantage for playing soccer is, of course, being able to communicate with my fellow players. Communication is key in soccer, and my cochlear implants make it considerably easier.

And on top of that, I also have the advantage of being able to turn off my audio processors if the hustle and bustle and noise get to be too much. I can just switch them off in the locker room for a few minutes and calm down and tune into myself. Then I can be really concentrated for the start of the match.

My Advice for Other People With Hearing Loss

You can enjoy sports with a cochlear implant. For some sports, it makes sense to use an extra fixation option for your audio processor. For others, having the correct magnet strength is enough. I, personally, have never had the problem of losing an audio processor.

The most important thing is choosing a sport and doing it regularly. And if you have a problem with your audio processor, there’s always a solution. Just get out there and enjoy it!

Thank you, Lara!.

Photo courtesy of Philipp Hicker