ReSound announced it is supporting an all-female rowing team taking to the high seas in December: the Oarsome Foursome. The team will not only take on the “world’s toughest row” over 3,000 miles of open water, they also plan to sail into history, as rower Mo O’Brien aims to be the first deaf person to row in a boat across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is “a daunting challenge for anyone—and an inconceivable idea for many,” according to ReSound’s announcement. More people have climbed Mount Everest than rowed across the Atlantic in a boat.1
The stakes are much higher when attempting this challenge with a profound hearing loss, as is the case with the Oarsome Foursome’s O’Brien. Deafness presents many challenges at sea. A person with profound hearing loss will have extreme difficulties hearing sounds in every direction, especially in wind noise, getting a true sense of space, and filtering out distracting background noises to hear speech and instructions clearly.
Why embrace such a challenge? Overcoming many hurdles in life due to profound hearing loss and suddenly being able to hear better by wearing ReSound hearing aids inspired Mo O’Brien to “do something incredible” and let her confidence and character shine.
“My hearing loss has affected my personality in a big way, but I am no longer letting it stop me,” said O’Brien.“Let’s realize that we don’t need to just exist through this life. You need to live it to the fullest and fulfill your dreams while you can.”
O’Brien will wear her ReSound high-performance hearing aids during the race to help her achieve her dream. Even in this high-pressure environment, “the superlative sound quality will kick into action, enabling Mo to hear 360 degrees of sound even through the wind and rain, crisply, clearly, and comfortably as she moves in every direction and talks with her teammates,” according to the company.
“We are proud to sponsor the Oarsome Foursome as they journey over very deep water to achieve a fantastic accomplishment and raise money for charity,” said Christina Molt-Wengel, senior vice president, global marketing, GN Hearing. “We’ll be with them, especially Mo, every stroke of the way.”
Oarsome Foursome from left to right: Bird Watts, Linda Whittaker, Mo O’Brien, and Clair Allinson.
The Oarsome Foursome team rowers are Mo O’Brien, Claire Allinson, and Bird Watts, who is Mo’s daughter. Teammate Linda Whittaker sadly had to withdraw from the race due to health issues, but she is still very much part of the crew, albeit land-based. ReSound has granted a sponsorship to the team. The Oarsome Foursome’s other main sponsors are Coldplay, MUTU System, and Crown Records Management.
Follow the Oarsome Foursome on Facebook or help them raise funds for charity.
Feel their passion and be inspired with their YouTube video.
Learn more about ReSound.
Reference
1. World Health Organization (WHO). Deafness and hearing loss Fact Sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss. Accessed November 2019.
Source: ReSoundImages: ReSound
