Forty-nine days since setting sail from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, Mo O’Brien has now officially become the “first deaf person to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean,” according to an announcement from the GN Group. Sponsored by ReSound, Mo and her team—the Oarsome Foursome—have ranked 24th in this year’s Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, after docking at Antigua on January 31, finishing a grueling race against 39 other teams.

The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge can be “an incredibly tough undertaking for anyone, let alone a person with a profound hearing loss such as Mo O’Brien.” Therefore, having the right kit and hearing tech was essential to create the best possible environment for Mo. During the race, Mo relied on the newest ReSound hearing aids.

“I’m so immensely proud that I’ve achieved this extremely hard challenge, and to experience this with my daughter and my teammates is the icing on the cake,” said Mo. “Out on the ocean, it was incredibly helpful that my hearing aids enabled me to focus on rowing and communicating, day and night, and I could relax with music, without feeling limited by my hearing loss.”

“We’re happy and amazed with the new historic milestone, which Mo and her team have achieved,” said Christina Molt-Wengel, senior vice president, Global Marketing, GN Hearing. “Despite her profound hearing loss, Mo has not only set a world record, she has also inspired us with her courage and determination. Mo perfectly encapsulates our ‘hear more, do more, be more’ spirit and the idea of healthy hearing.”

By wearing hearing aids such as ReSound’s, “Mo successfully navigated the typical hearing loss disadvantages at sea.” According to ReSound, Mo’s hearing solution helped her pay attention to important factors: she could hear sounds clearly in every direction, get a true sense of space, filter out background noise in all weather, and better communicate with her teammates.

In addition to the achievement of completing the race, the team have raised an incredible £50,000 (USD $55,445) for three UK charities: Cornwall Blood Bikes, Carefree, and Exmouth & Lympstone Hospiscare, whose fundraising page is still open for donations. Alongside ReSound, Coldplay, MUTU System, and Crown Records Management are also Oarsome Foursome sponsors.

Source: ReSound