Australian Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has faced hearing loss for much of her life. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with everyone wearing masks, made lip-reading difficult and pushed her to take action:
“With everyone wearing masks, it became very hard for me to lip read,” she says. Now an ambassador for Audika, Arnold is dedicated to raising awareness about hearing loss and encouraging others to prioritise their hearing health.
“Addressing my hearing has mainly helped me in social settings. Before I would tune out quite a bit and withdraw from conversations. Now I am more confident”.
Mackenzie has expressed gratitude for the support network provided by her family and loved ones throughout her hearing journey. Recently, supporting her brother through his own hearing loss journey deepened her understanding of hearing loss and underscored the importance of mutual support in these journeys.
“Bringing a loved one to your hearing appointments is important”.
