Hearing Clearly Again

By Delanie Ross / Special Olympics Florida

With the help of Special Olympics Florida, Monroe County athlete Jennifer Averette will be receiving new, state-of-the-art hearing aids.

Jennifer has been a part of Special Olympics Florida for over 30 years. She has worn hearing aids since the age of 7. She is an Athlete Leader and a Health Messenger and participates in a variety of sports, including stand up paddle, swimming, flag football, cheerleading, cornhole, and bocce.  Jennifer also was inducted into the Special Olympics Florida Hall of Fame in 2022.

Her new hearing aids will include Bluetooth and will be water resistant, allowing her to wear them even while paddleboarding. These aids, she said, will improve both her speech and ability to hear clearly.

Jennifer said fellow athletes should take part in the health screenings Special Olympics Florida provides to athletes at no cost. Research has shown that a significant share of Special Olympics athletes have untreated ear and hearing issues, including blocked ear canals and some hearing loss.

If hearing issues are identified during a screening, the organization can help athletes get the hearing aids they need.

“Get them,” Jennifer said, “because you don’t know what you’re missing out on.”

Jennifer remembers her excitement when she was first fitted for hearing aids.  “I was able to hear sounds and noises that I had never heard before,” she said.

Jennifer said she was grateful to Special Olympics Florida and to the entire team who helped her navigate the process – Dave Leibman from Hear Again America and Starkey Hearing Aids.