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Defying the odds: being deaf and an Olympic gold medalist - Sports
Being deaf isn't easy. Neither is winning a gold medal for Team USA Hockey in the 2007 Winter Deaflympics, the international Olympic Games for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Doug Hyde knows all about both.
The current Wash. U. sophomore was selected to represent the United States in this year's 16th Games, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and came away with a gold medal victory.
The 19-year-old computer science major from Alexandria, Va. appears to be like any normal college sophomore. But Hyde is legally deaf and must overcome daily struggles that many students never experience.
Growing up with Hearing Loss
"My parents discovered my hearing loss before my third birthday," Hyde explained. "My hearing loss grew slowly throughout my childhood, but when I was 16, I quickly lost the remaining hearing in my right ear."
Thereafter, Hyde decided to get a cochlear implant, a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. Hyde, who considers the decision to be perhaps the best he's ever made, continues to wear a hearing aid on his left ear. The combination of the cochlear implant and hearing aid has enabled him to have near-normal hearing and has allowed him the ability to communicate without the use of sign language.
Although his hearing has not hindered his ability to make friends and actively take part in activities such as the club ice and roller hockey teams, he has had to work extra hard in order to lead a normal life. With years of practice, though, he has perfected his form.
"The only real difference is I have to listen and focus on the speaker much more to hear everything they say. It's like the difference between glancing and squinting, but it works for me," said Hyde.
"I also read lips and subconsciously fill in the blanks for words and syllables I miss. In ideal situations, most people don't notice my hearing loss, but in large groups and noisy environments, I sometimes struggle."
Additionally, Hyde has had a lifetime to deal with the misconceptions that people attribute to the hearing-impaired.
"People often err towards the extremes of assuming either that my hearing aids make my hearing perfect, or that they need to talk really slow and loud," he said. "If people know that I can read lips, they may exaggerate the mouth expressions, which makes it harder to read because it is awkward and unnatural."
Nevertheless, because of all of this, Hyde has learned to relish the relationships he has gained with his parents, friends and peers.
"I don't think my hearing loss affects my relationships with friends and classmates, but occasionally people are too lazy to repeat things when I don't hear something, but they're not worth my time either."
The people that matter to Hyde the most are the people who see past his hearing impairment and accept him for who he is: a fun-loving kid who enjoys hockey, snowboarding, mountain biking and backpacking.
From the Peewee Leagues to the Olympics
Hyde's illustrious hockey career began when he was just 6-years-old. A self-described "physical but usually clean defensemen," he has been playing with travel teams for the last decade, the pinnacle of which was realized upon his selection to the 2007 Winter Deaflympics United States hockey team.
"I saw pictures of the 1995 gold-medal-winning [United States] hockey team and was in awe, and it's been something I've wanted to do since then," he said.
Upon arrival in Colorado Springs, Colo., in mid-January to train at the United States Olympic Training facility, he quickly learned the dynamics of what Deaflympic hockey is all about.
"About half the team has a hearing loss similar to mine, where they can hear well enough to communicate with speech, while the other half is deaf and signs," he explained. "In the beginning, the team was a little divided, but with some effort we can express what we're trying to say because almost everyone can read lips very well."
But the fast pace of the sport often precludes the need for verbal communication, even among hearing players. In practices, however, there are interpreters on hand, so that the players who are accustomed to using sign language are able to understand the coaches. Games are a different story. "In games we rely on our vision and understanding of the game to anticipate and find teammates," said Hyde.
Coming to Salt Lake for the Games from Feb. 1-10, which featured over 600 athletes representing 23 countries from around the world, Hyde and Team USA were determined to win the gold. The team had taken the silver medal in 1999 and the bronze in 2005. In 2007, the squad was intent on capturing gold.
"We had the most talented team the United States has ever had and the coaches gave us the most extensive training camp and conditioning program we've ever had. We were there to win," said Hyde. Initially, though, things didn't go according to plan. The stars and stripes were defeated by Russia in their first game, 9-6.
Nevertheless, Team USA did not waver, rebounding from the disappointment to go on and win every game they played during the rest of the tournament, including a stellar comeback win against the defending gold medalists from Canada.
Down 3-0 halfway through its game with the Canadians, the team realized that their medal hopes were on the line. Losing would give them two losses, which would not be able to match up against the rest of the competition from Russia, Germany, Finland and Sweden.
"We took our game to the next level and played from the heart. We took brutal hits for the team, delivered rib-cracking checks, blocked slap shots with unpadded and exposed skin to get the job done," Hyde recalled.
The team scored two unanswered goals in the second half of the second period to pull within one and take the momentum into the third period. After quickly tying the game early in the third, both teams fought for their Olympic lives until the red, white, and blue came out on top 4-3 after an exciting game-winning goal with five minutes remaining.
"It was definitely the highlight of my experience, and it was one of the five or so most fun games I've ever played in my life," Hyde said. Following the upset of Canada, the team defeated both Finland and Germany, all but ensuring the gold.
Hyde left Salt Lake with a gold medal, memories, and an experience he'll never forget. The Deaflympics now behind him, Hyde plans to take the memories gained from his experience with him to Australia, where he is currently studying abroad, and back to St. Louis when he returns in the fall.
Being deaf isn't easy. Neither is winning a gold medal for Team USA Hockey in the 2007 Winter Deaflympics, the international Olympic Games for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Doug Hyde knows all about both.
The current Wash. U. sophomore was selected to represent the United States in this year's 16th Games, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and came away with a gold medal victory.
The 19-year-old computer science major from Alexandria, Va. appears to be like any normal college sophomore. But Hyde is legally deaf and must overcome daily struggles that many students never experience.
Growing up with Hearing Loss
"My parents discovered my hearing loss before my third birthday," Hyde explained. "My hearing loss grew slowly throughout my childhood, but when I was 16, I quickly lost the remaining hearing in my right ear."
Thereafter, Hyde decided to get a cochlear implant, a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. Hyde, who considers the decision to be perhaps the best he's ever made, continues to wear a hearing aid on his left ear. The combination of the cochlear implant and hearing aid has enabled him to have near-normal hearing and has allowed him the ability to communicate without the use of sign language.
Although his hearing has not hindered his ability to make friends and actively take part in activities such as the club ice and roller hockey teams, he has had to work extra hard in order to lead a normal life. With years of practice, though, he has perfected his form.
"The only real difference is I have to listen and focus on the speaker much more to hear everything they say. It's like the difference between glancing and squinting, but it works for me," said Hyde.
"I also read lips and subconsciously fill in the blanks for words and syllables I miss. In ideal situations, most people don't notice my hearing loss, but in large groups and noisy environments, I sometimes struggle."
Additionally, Hyde has had a lifetime to deal with the misconceptions that people attribute to the hearing-impaired.
"People often err towards the extremes of assuming either that my hearing aids make my hearing perfect, or that they need to talk really slow and loud," he said. "If people know that I can read lips, they may exaggerate the mouth expressions, which makes it harder to read because it is awkward and unnatural."
Nevertheless, because of all of this, Hyde has learned to relish the relationships he has gained with his parents, friends and peers.
"I don't think my hearing loss affects my relationships with friends and classmates, but occasionally people are too lazy to repeat things when I don't hear something, but they're not worth my time either."
The people that matter to Hyde the most are the people who see past his hearing impairment and accept him for who he is: a fun-loving kid who enjoys hockey, snowboarding, mountain biking and backpacking.
From the Peewee Leagues to the Olympics
Hyde's illustrious hockey career began when he was just 6-years-old. A self-described "physical but usually clean defensemen," he has been playing with travel teams for the last decade, the pinnacle of which was realized upon his selection to the 2007 Winter Deaflympics United States hockey team.
"I saw pictures of the 1995 gold-medal-winning [United States] hockey team and was in awe, and it's been something I've wanted to do since then," he said.
Upon arrival in Colorado Springs, Colo., in mid-January to train at the United States Olympic Training facility, he quickly learned the dynamics of what Deaflympic hockey is all about.
"About half the team has a hearing loss similar to mine, where they can hear well enough to communicate with speech, while the other half is deaf and signs," he explained. "In the beginning, the team was a little divided, but with some effort we can express what we're trying to say because almost everyone can read lips very well."
But the fast pace of the sport often precludes the need for verbal communication, even among hearing players. In practices, however, there are interpreters on hand, so that the players who are accustomed to using sign language are able to understand the coaches. Games are a different story. "In games we rely on our vision and understanding of the game to anticipate and find teammates," said Hyde.
Coming to Salt Lake for the Games from Feb. 1-10, which featured over 600 athletes representing 23 countries from around the world, Hyde and Team USA were determined to win the gold. The team had taken the silver medal in 1999 and the bronze in 2005. In 2007, the squad was intent on capturing gold.
"We had the most talented team the United States has ever had and the coaches gave us the most extensive training camp and conditioning program we've ever had. We were there to win," said Hyde. Initially, though, things didn't go according to plan. The stars and stripes were defeated by Russia in their first game, 9-6.
Nevertheless, Team USA did not waver, rebounding from the disappointment to go on and win every game they played during the rest of the tournament, including a stellar comeback win against the defending gold medalists from Canada.
Down 3-0 halfway through its game with the Canadians, the team realized that their medal hopes were on the line. Losing would give them two losses, which would not be able to match up against the rest of the competition from Russia, Germany, Finland and Sweden.
"We took our game to the next level and played from the heart. We took brutal hits for the team, delivered rib-cracking checks, blocked slap shots with unpadded and exposed skin to get the job done," Hyde recalled.
The team scored two unanswered goals in the second half of the second period to pull within one and take the momentum into the third period. After quickly tying the game early in the third, both teams fought for their Olympic lives until the red, white, and blue came out on top 4-3 after an exciting game-winning goal with five minutes remaining.
"It was definitely the highlight of my experience, and it was one of the five or so most fun games I've ever played in my life," Hyde said. Following the upset of Canada, the team defeated both Finland and Germany, all but ensuring the gold.
Hyde left Salt Lake with a gold medal, memories, and an experience he'll never forget. The Deaflympics now behind him, Hyde plans to take the memories gained from his experience with him to Australia, where he is currently studying abroad, and back to St. Louis when he returns in the fall.