A Tennis Player With Hearing Implants

Paula was born with severe hearing loss. Her parents quickly decided to get her cochlear implants for both ears. Today, Paula uses two SONNET 2s when she plays tennis professionally. In this article, she tells us all about her hearing journey and how her cochlear implants have impacted her life.

Hello, I’m Paula. I’m 15 years old and I’m from Austria. In my free time, I like doing many sports, including tennis, skiing, and climbing, and I also enjoy reading. My SONNET 2s support me in my daily life as well as on my hearing journey.

Great Support From the Start

My newborn screening showed that I was born with severe hearing loss, but we don’t know what caused it.

Thanks to great support from my doctors and therapists as well as my parents, I was able to receive early support. At the age of 2 ½, I was implanted on the right side, and at the age of 3, I was implanted on the left side.

Despite my hearing loss, I learned to hear and speak quickly. It didn’t take me long to adapt to hearing with my cochlear implants—and since I don’t know any other way of hearing, I didn’t need any special hearing exercises.

The Benefits of SONNET 2

I have bilateral implants and am currently using SONNET 2 audio processors.

I particularly like the stylish design of my processors.
The sound quality is also so good that I sometimes forget that I have hearing implants.
I also like using streaming devices. I find AudioLink particularly useful for making phone calls.

Playing Tennis With Cochlear Implants

My family loves to play tennis, so my parents took me along when I was little. That’s when I discovered my love for tennis. When I play sports, I protect my SONNET 2s with a red cap, which has now become my trademark.

Being able to hear while playing gives me the advantage of being able to better determine when the ball will arrive on my side. I also really enjoy being able to hear the shouts of the spectators.

Paula

Tennis player and CI user from Austria

Fixation Options for Tennis

For a high-action sport such as tennis, there are various gadgets specially designed to keep your audio processor safe. Here are our recommendations:

Sports Headband

The Sports Headband is designed to keep RONDO and SAMBA series audio processors safe. Its special pockets hold the audio processor in place, and its breathable fabric protects it from sweat and moisture.

Attachment & Activity Clips

There’s also the option of using the magnetic Activity Clips or Attachment Clips for clothes or hair to keep your RONDO or SAMBA series processor in place during a match.

Fixation Loop for Glasses

Specifically for your RONDO series processor, we also offer our Fixation Loop that slides over the earpiece of your glasses to keep your processor secure.

GripWear

If you’re an adult with a SONNET or RONDO series audio processor or OPUS 2, we recommend using GripWear, an adhesive silicone ring that helps keep the coil positioned correctly over the implant. You can also use the Activity Hook for additional fixation around the bottom of your ear when you do sports.

Huggy & Mellie Clip

For children with an OPUS 2 or SONNET series audio processor, we recommend using the Huggy, a soft fixation option that attaches to the audio processor and goes over the whole ear.
Another option for children is our Mellie Clip, a lanyard that can be connected to either one or both audio processors before being clipped to clothing for added security.

My Advice to Others

Thanks to my implants, I can go to school, meet up with my friends, and play sports. I tell others with hearing loss not to be afraid of the operation because the healing process is very quick, and afterwards, the hearing journey can begin.

Thank you, Paula!

MED-EL

A Tennis Player With Hearing Implants

Great Support From the Start

The Benefits of SONNET 2

Playing Tennis With Cochlear Implants