An Inspiration in Professional Sports - "Sound is No Barrier"

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We loved this inspirational story in the New York Times this week! South Korean tennis player, Lee Duck-hee, has achieved greatness in his sport (ranked 143rd in the world) - and has achieved this greatness without hearing. The Times states, "Lee is exceptional among professionals, too. He is deaf, and no deaf player in the sport’s history has reached these heights. In tennis, simply seeing the ball is believed to be insufficient. Hearing the ball, top players say, enables faster reactions — a crucial advantage in a sport where powerful serves and groundstrokes mean that every tiny fraction of a second matters."

Jean Chung for The New York Times

Jean Chung for The New York Times

Duck-hee has been up against tough odds when competing in the sport. Studies show that humans react faster to auditory stimulus than a visual stimulus. Tennis players often gain their first reactions from auditory information, making split second decisions that allow them to make their play.

Reaching No. 1 world ranks and the best tennis player in South Korean history is Duck-hee's goal. We for sure are rooting him on in meeting this goal! 

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Jody Vaynshtok

Jody is a California-licensed speech language pathologist with eight years of industry and clinical experience. She has worked with both adult and pediatric populations during her time at private practice, birth-to-three, and hospital facilities. She is experienced in the assessment and treatment of a variety of communication and cognitive disorders. In addition, Jody has a passion for working with adults looking to achieve clearer communication. Jody received her BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences and MS in Medical Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She was a part of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford’s cleft and craniofacial clinic participating in the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of children born with craniofacial abnormalities. She holds a staff position at UCSF and is the lead speech language pathologist for the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Hearing Loss Clinic. When she's not busy having fun with her clients Jody enjoys spending time with her husband, Anton, friends and family. And if she's not headed out somewhere fun for dinner, you might find her at Bar Method working out!