Tessa Sanderson CBE – the first black British woman to become an Olympic champion and now President of the charity Women in Sport, as well as a motivational speaker and sports presenter – spent about 10 years battling hearing loss without the support she needed, and later struggled with hearing aids that were never properly adjusted or explained.
Lacking confidence
The experience shook her confidence and left her anxious about whether she could perform certain aspects of her work as well as she wanted.
“I began to struggle with conversations and I hoped I had responded correctly to what was said. I was desperate not to be caught out. I became embarrassed and far less confident. I knew I needed help.”
Tessa’s initial struggle with hearing aids
Tessa was fitted with new hearing aids in 2016, but her problems were far from over.
“When I was first fitted with hearing aids, I was excited. I thought I’d finally found a solution to my hearing nightmare. But I left really disappointed. They were uncomfortable and the sound was distorted. I assumed getting a hearing aid would be like getting glasses – that you’d feel the benefits straight away.”
Tessa’s expectations are far from unusual. Our research shows that 45% of people who struggled with their hearing aids expected their device to work straight away – either immediately or during the fitting – even though the best results typically come only after follow-up adjustments and proper aftercare.
Tessa persevered with her standard-fit hearing aids for a few years, but her hearing problems continued.
Impact on work life
“I was still struggling with conversations,” Tessa remembers. “I was having to work so hard just to do my job properly and I became anxious and self-conscious, worried people could tell I didn’t understand them. At big events with crowds, I could barely hear the questions I was being asked. I was terrified I’d ignore someone or freeze on stage.”
She found herself wearing the devices less and less, until she was close to abandoning them altogether.
