David Smith, competing as #20 on the United States Olympic Volleyball Team in London, has not let hearing loss get in the way of his goals in life or for winning a gold medal in the 
Olympics.
The University of California Irvine graduate was born with severe hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since he was 3 years old.
Before leaving for the Olympics, Smith upgraded to an Oticon Chili hearing aid, and Oticon recently received unexpected feedback on how well David’s new hearing instruments are performing.
In an unidentified interview reported by Oticon in a press release, Smith reportedly talked about previous challenges with hearing instruments that sometimes “went out” during rigorous play. He then went on to say, “But I just got these before the Olympics, and I don’t seem to have any problems," he said, raising both hands to his ears, indicating the Chili hearing aids.
“David is an inspiration to all of us but especially to people with hearing loss,” says Oticon president Peer Lauritsen. “When he returns from the Olympics, David will join with us on a patient education campaign that will talk about his performance with his new Chilis on and off the court.”
SOURCE: Oticon
