Gold medal-winning javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson speaks out about losing her hearing from 2001 and how ‘pretending to understand’ affected her confidence
Olympic legend Tessa Sanderson has told of her battle with hearing loss.
The only British athlete to have ever won Olympic gold in a throwing event has revealed she started losing her hearing over two decades ago and how “pretending to understand” affected her confidence.
The former javelin thrower and public speaker told the Mirror she struggled to hear what people were saying which “rocked” her confidence as she became “terrified I’d ignore someone or freeze on stage”. Tessa Sanderson won gold in the javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the third of a record six Olympics for any female British athlete.
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Describing the hearing loss she started experiencing from 2001, Tessa told the Mirror: “I began to struggle with conversations and I hoped I had responded correctly to what was said. I was desperate not to be caught out. I became embarrassed and far less confident. That was totally alien to me.
She had hearing aids fitted to both ears in 2016 but they didn’t work for her. She added: “I was still struggling with conversations. I was having to work so hard just to do my job properly and I became anxious and self-conscious, worried people could tell I didn’t understand them. At big events with crowds, I could barely hear the questions I was being asked. I was terrified I’d ignore someone or freeze on stage.
“It took a real toll. The more challenging it got, the harder it was to maintain my confidence. For someone in the public eye as a speaker, an ambassador and on TV, that becomes a massive hurdle to overcome.”
Tessa, 70, is the first British black woman to win Olympic gold and the last female Briton to win a field event at the Games. Over 40 years later she is still the first and last British thrower to win any sort of Olympic title.
Tessa lives in east London with her husband, the three-time Olympic judo competitor Densign White, and their adopted twins, Ruby Mae and Cassius, 13. She became a prominent voice in sports broadcasting covering the Olympic Games for TalkSport and appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live. The CBE recipient also promotes sports for young people through her own foundation and academy as well working as a motivational speaker for high-profile organisations.
Despite her prominent roles, she had been masking her deteriorating hearing for years. She said: “I’d be talking to an audience on stage wanting to talk to people in the audience but I became scared to do that. I used to struggle watching TV. Or if someone was talking to me from the back seat when I’m driving my car I would just not be listening. My confidence was rocked.”
There are three million hearing aid users in the UK and polling suggests around half “never” or “only sometimes” wear their device. People with unsupported hearing loss are more at risk of isolation, anxiety and cognitive decline.
Tessa’s message to anyone living with hearing loss is “don’t withdraw” and to persevere with hearing aids. She said: “When I was first fitted with hearing aids I was excited. I thought I’d finally found a solution to my hearing nightmare. But they were uncomfortable and the sound was distorted. I assumed getting a hearing aid would be like getting glasses in that you’d feel the benefits straight away.”
Tessa is helping to promote a poll of 2,000 device users by hearing aid provider Hidden Hearing which found 41% of people who do not wear their hearing aid as recommended decide during their fitting that they are unlikely to persevere. Only one in seven polled were aware that the best results usually come after follow-up adjustments to their device.
Tessa told how she struggled with “hissing” sounds and wore her aids less and less, coming close to abandoning them altogether, often shoving them in the back of a drawer. She eventually bought a new pair and was given the guidance and follow-up support to make them work for her.
She added: “Eventually, I considered giving them up completely. But as an Olympian, I never quit so I decided to try something else. They’ve been life-changing. They’re perfectly personalised for me and my hearing is so much better. I feel happy, confident and completely able to cope with my busy working life again. No more missing conversations or pretending to understand.”
TV doctor Hilary Jones said: “Good hearing is essential for staying connected, confident and active. Those first days with a hearing aid can feel overwhelming, especially when you suddenly hear sounds you haven’t heard clearly for years. That’s normal. Your brain needs time, and consistent wear, to adjust, and things settle quickly with the right support.”
Hidden Hearing has launched Fitted Isn’t Finished – a free online hub offering guidance and practical tips to help people make their hearing aids work for them.
Laura Ewen, director at the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists, said: “As audiologists, we know the early challenges people may face – sudden loudness, unfamiliar sound quality or uncertainty about what’s ‘normal’. None of these are signs a hearing aid isn’t working; they simply show where small adjustments are needed. If your hearing aid has ended up in a drawer, the right support can help you take it out and succeed.”
Tips for making hearing aids work
Laura Ewen, Hidden Hearing’s head of audiology, gives the following advice for getting your hearing aid to work for you:
- Establish what your hearing goals are such as hearing your favourite TV show more clearly or being able to hear your grandchildren at the dinner table
- Be patient with yourself – your brain is relearning how to process sounds so it’s normal to feel tired or overwhelmed at first
- Wear your hearing aids regularly. The more you use them, the faster your brain will adapt to them and you’ll be able to enjoy the full benefits of hearing aids
- Notice new sounds and everyday noises like birds singing or the rustle of a newspaper. They may feel unfamiliar or distracting at first, but this will improve as you adjust
- Attend follow-up appointments – hearing aids have many different settings which can be adjusted to suit your unique hearing
