Jeff Float

Jeff Float - Olympic Gold Medalist

Mr. Float was captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic swim team, which set a world record in the men's 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay. He wears two hearing aids to correct his hearing loss.

Jeff reported, "I had viral meningitis at the age of 13 months that caused a permanent loss of 60-80% of my hearing. My very supportive parents sent me to a famous clinic when I was three, where I was fitted with hearing aids and introduced to the fundamentals of communicating effectively in a hearing world. I owe thanks to the rapid advancement in hearing aid technology combined with lip reading and speech therapy techniques. Winning a gold medal and overcoming a hearing handicap took many years of parents, practice, keeping things in proper perspective and above all, a deep desire to excel to the best you can be. My motto throughout high school and college was "it is better to have tried and lost than to have never tried at all".



Information obtained from the Better Hearing Insitute: www.betterhearing.org