Nathan Young: Help me represent GB at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Brazil

Help fund Nathan at the World Deaf Swimming Championships by clicking here.

My name is Nathan Young and the reason I am writing is to ask for your support. I am 19 and profoundly deaf. I am the only athlete representing Great Britain in the 5th World Deaf Swimming Championships being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 25th to 31st August this year.

Remarkably, deaf athletes receive no government support at all, even though UK Sport are investing up to £345 million in the training of Olympic and Paralympic athletes for Tokyo 2020, with Special Olympics being given £2 million in 2015.

The media perception of the Paralympics encapsulating all disabilities is a misconception. This separation of deaf athletes from Paralympics has much wider reaching implications as government policy for sport has prioritised funding towards this showcase event at the expense of the thousands of deaf athletes across the country.

I am demoralised. What this means for me is that even though I put everything into my swimming, training to my very highest level, accumulating 20 plus hours a week, I am given no choice but to raise money in order to represent my country.

The funding needed is miniscule compared to the huge funds given to the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympic athletes. In what way is it right to say that the only type of athlete who doesn’t get government funding is a deaf athlete?

GB have been unable to put a team together and therefore I have made the decision to compete alone. I will be the only swimmer representing my country and gaining further vital experience of competing internationally.

This is a decision fully backed by my coach Martin Brooks of Wirral Metro Swimming Club.

Having already gained a bronze medal in the Deaflympics held in Turkey in 2017, I have been training hard and with the next Deaflympics only being 2 years away, it is imperative that I compete against my deaf peers, some of the best athletes in the world, in order to further my placing in the world of Deaf Swimming.

I will be competing against fully funded swimmers whose countries believe and acknowledge their commitment to their sport.

I am profoundly deaf. Born on 30th March 1999, I spent my childhood suffering with chest infections and asthma. Although my parents raised concerns over my hearing, it wasn’t until just after my 4th Birthday that I was finally diagnosed with bilateral sensory neural hearing loss.

My deafness is a deteriorating loss and one which meant I would lose my hearing rapidly over the coming years. Being a hidden disability and very little known or understood by many, school life became very difficult.

Unfortunately we have no deaf schools or units in the area and therefore I attended mainstream school supported occasionally by Teachers of the Deaf. Can you imagine a young deaf child being placed within a class of over 30 children?

I couldn’t hear the lessons being taught. The noise made it virtually impossible for me to join in playground games or social groups. As I grew, my only friends were those that had genuine empathy and those with a kind heart and patience to let me process what was said or who would happily repeat 3 or 4 times until I had heard.

Conversations were so difficult, I relied upon lip-reading to help fill in the gaps, which would eventually become my main source of communication as my hearing deteriorated. All I ever wanted was to be was the same as and liked by my hearing peers but for many this was never an option. I’m not sure if this was through fear of the unknown or by them feeling ‘less cool’ or ‘unpopular by being friends with ‘the deaf boy.’

I couldn’t join in team sports, something I just wished for more than anything. On the few occasions I played football it would result in a bad feeling because I couldn’t hear the team calling me, or the manager’s directions. My mum recalled the time my teacher phoned her to ask why she wouldn’t allow me to be part of the school football team. The teacher didn’t see the harm in me being sat on the sideline; ‘part of the team isn’t it! My mum responded saying “Nathan is worth far more than that”.

I needed a sport for myself. Swimming. I had been having swimming lessons at my local swimming baths and they also had a club. A few weeks later I had my trial and that was where my swimming began. I loved it and my target was always to improve and move onto the next lane then onto the next group until I reached the top group, leading my lane.

Unfortunately the transition to secondary school didn’t go well. Lack of knowledge, preplanning and support meant that in my second year my parents were faced with no alternative but to remove me from the education system.

I wasn’t in a good place. I had missed out on 2 years of already struggling education. I couldn’t be left on my own and wouldn’t go out without my parents. I GAVE UP SWIMMING.

This is not where I wanted to be. I wanted to have friends. Go to school. I wanted to have a future. My parents paid for home tutors so that I could continue with my English and Maths, my Teachers of the Deaf visited me regularly to keep some consistency in my life and what I now know is that my parents fought tirelessly to secure a place in what would be the best possible outcome, a new school which gave me the chance to embrace my deafness and heal from the experiences I had been through. AND I RETURNED TO SWIMMING.

So, my swimming journey continued. I started at a new club and within a few months I also joined the Great Britain Deaf Swimming Club which catapulted my swimming experiences. Not only that but I also gained new friendship groups, both nationally and internationally.

I have now competed at the 4th World Deaf Swimming Championships in Texas 2015, the 23rd Deaflympics in Turkey 2017, and the European Championships in Poland last year.

I currently hold the following deaf records:-

British
50 Butterfly (Short & Long Course)
100 Butterfly (LC)

English
50 Freestyle (SC)
100 Freestyle (SC)
200 Freestyle (SC)
50 Butterfly (SC + LC)
100 Butterfly (SC )

Youth
50 Backstroke (SC)
50 Butterfly (SC)
100 Butterfly (SC)

Age Group
50 Freestyle 15 + 16
100 Freestyle 16
200 Freestyle 16
50 Backstroke 15
50 Butterfly 16

As I am the only GB swimmer competing I have also had to organise my own coach to not only support me but assist me. This was not an easy decision as it had to be someone with knowledge of how best to communicate with me and someone I can trust.

I have known Steve McQuilliam , Sports Scientist for a number of years and after gaining a place at John Moores University in September studying Sports & Exercise Science, I obtained a scholarship which means I receive support in my chosen sport.

For me it meant I gained one to one swim specific gym training and it is here how I met up again with Steve. Obviously having Steve at my side means I am also having the extra task of now funding both myself and my coach which will amount to approximately £5,000. Quite sad, considering I am representing my country but without their support.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would really appreciate any donation or sponsorship you could offer to help with my funding.

Help fund Nathan at the World Deaf Swimming Championships by clicking here.