<div>Hello!
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<div>My name is Ava Pruden. I am 16 years old. I was two months old when my family found out about my hearing loss in both of my ears. At just three months old, I was fitted for hearing aids and have worn hearing aids ever since. Living with hearing loss and wearing hearing aids has always been part of my life and who I am. To me, I was just like any other kid. I never saw myself as different from a kid with normal hearing. I went to a Deaf &amp; Hard of Hearing preschool and kindergarten and have made lifelong friends.
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<div>I mainstreamed to my elementary school and made friends and did everything else a little kid would do. I was so happy and enjoying my life to the fullest.
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<div>At the age of 5, my mom signed me up for a summer swim team at Beachwood Swim club. I was the only swimmer who had hearing loss on the entire team besides my twin brother. On the first day of practice, I was nervous but also excited at the same time. 
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<div>Swim team was something that I had never done before. I found it challenging and super hard to hear my coaches and understand what they were telling us to do. I persisted and didn’t give up by speaking up and advocating if I could not hear. When I was in 6th grade, I started swimming for Atlantis Swim Club in the winter and spring along with the summer team. I had begun to improve a lot and
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<div>wanted to get faster.
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<div> Fast forward to 9th grade, I began high school swimming at Seaholm High School in Birmingham Michigan. High School swimming was nothing like anything I had ever done before. My High School Swim Coach chooses the best swimmers to swim in the morning
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<div>before school. I advocated and pushed myself to be a member of the morning swim crew. I swim before school and after school during swim season in high school. The rigorous training 6 days a week allowed me to push myself and take my swimming to a new level.
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<div>I applied to be a member of USA Deaf Swimming and found out recently that I made the USA Deaf Olympic team and would have a chance to swim in Tokyo against other Deaf/Hard of Hearing Athletes from around the world this November 2025. This is an amazing opportunity to me because I would go from being one of the only Deaf/Hard of Hearing swimmer on my teams to swimming with people who are just like me.
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<div>The Deaf Olympics are a way for me to unite with swimmers from all over the United States &amp; World! It gives me a sense of comfort knowing I am not the only swimmer who is has hearing loss. My desire &amp; dream to become a member of Team USA has become a reality!
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<div>Being the only hard of hearing swimmer on my swim teams has made me strive to overcome adversity as it is difficult not being able to hear my coaches &amp; teammates since I can’t wear my hearing aids in the water.  Overtime, I found ways to figure it out, which is always advocating for myself, persevering, being resilient and never giving up.
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<div>I am so honored and proud to be a member of the the United States Deaf Olympic SwimTeam this November in Tokyo, Japan. I appreciate your support. I am extremely thankful to my Family, Coaches &amp; Friends for always being there to encourage &amp; support me. Your support will enable to me and my twin brother Joseph ( who also is hearing impaired &amp; wears hearing aids) and my Mom to experience this amazing opportunity.
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<div>Much thanks, Ava.
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<div>GO TEAM USA!
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<div>GO TEAM USA!
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Support Ava's USA DeafSwim Olympic’s in Tokyo this November!

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