SaintsAbility participant running 10k in ABP Southampton

Louis has loved football his whole life, and always wanted to play the game, something that can be quite difficult due to him being profoundly deaf. He first got the chance to play football when, at the age of 13, he started attending deaf school. At first, his skills were quite limited as he had poor balance and had not had much opportunity to play as a team. It wasn’t until his dad suggested he went along to the SaintsAbility sessions, that his dreams of playing for a team became a reality.

Deaf players rely on visual cues and communicate with sign language, and through Saint Foundation, Louis was able to practice these skills in a safe and inclusive environment and even went on to win tournaments in Switzerland and Austria. Working with members of staff such as Disability Coach, Andy Harvey, who has learnt football specific sign language to support his participants, Louis was able to improve his communication skills, become more confident, and make new friends.

To encourage others to join the sessions, Louis said: “It is on a Monday evening and they can help you, it’s very supportive, and you can learn some sign language! You won’t regret going.”

Louis felt that he has been positively impacted through his time with SaintsAbility and wanted to find a way to thank Saints Foundation, so decided to run the ABP Southampton’s half-marathon in their honour, raising funds to support others experiencing similar challenges.

However, Louis came up against another hurdle when he broke his elbow, unfortunately putting pause to his months of training. Despite his set back, Louis has not given up and is determined to prove his strength, so will be running the 10k race instead; an achievement that deserves to be applauded.

You can donate to support Louis here.