Born with severe hearing loss in both ears and relying on lip-reading, this US Olympian is representing others like him
Smith was born with severe hearing loss in both of his ears and relies on lip-reading to understand what his volleyball teammates and coaches are saying.
And so, the team has come up with a simple plan: “When David yells for it, David gets it.”
Smith is part of Team’s USA volleyball squad at the Paris Olympics, which has won its opening two games of the pool stage.
The 2024 Olympics are the fourth Summer Games in which Smith has represented Team USA, the highlight of which was helping the team win bronze at Rio in 2016.
But his disability comes with its own unique set of challenges, one which Smith describes as “hard work. It’s frustrating sometimes.”
“I’ve realized that if I do care about something, there’s a way to get there, there’s a way to manage it, to figure it out ... It’s the only world I know, but I’m doing the best I can, to make the best of it,” Smith told Olympics.com.
Smith began playing volleyball aged 14, initially as a summertime hobby outside of his regular sporting passion: Soccer.
Quickly though, he realized he had a bright future in volleyball. When he left high school in 2003, Smith was recruited to the University of California, Irvine, by the school’s head coach at the time, John Speraw. Speraw is now the US national men’s volleyball coach.
Speraw describes discovering Smith as like “finding a diamond in a rough.” He also said that Smith’s disability never came into play.
“One thing we knew was volleyball is a sport where communication is one of the most important things,” Speraw said to the Olympics site. “We realized there needed to be some adaptations for how the team played with David on the court.”
During their time at college, Speraw took Smith to a school for deaf children to showcase what can be achieved even with a disability.
“Seeing this first-hand was amazing,” Speraw said. “He shows people all over the world that dreams can be possible. I saw it when he was in college and, now 16 years later, at the Olympics in Paris.”
And now, Smith recognizes that he is a role model for the deaf community, in particular those with aspirations of building a career in sports.
At the Paris Games, Smith has seen deaf fans at some of Team USA’s games and he describes this as an inspirational experience.
“They were excited to have one of them out on the court, somebody to represent who they are and their struggles and their successes too,” he said.
Smith has been playing volleyball professionally in Poland for the past eight years. He describes one hearing-impaired fan who he’s built a friendship with during his time there and how rewarding it’s been seeing him develop.
With one final pool game to go against Japan on Friday, he is hoping to continue to show that anything is possible.
“Everybody is struck with different passions, but if it’s something that’s in your heart, I really believe that you can achieve it,” Smith said.
“You’re going to have to make adaptations; it’s going to take hard work, but I do believe, beyond the success that you have, just what it does for your soul, it’s very satisfying.”
Despite his hearing loss, Smith's passion for volleyball has led him to become a professional player, showcasing the power of determination in overcoming challenges in the sport. His presence on the court serves as an inspiration to the deaf community, proving that sports careers are not limited by disabilities.
