Payne throwing to inspire future stars

“Ok I’m deaf, but so what? First and foremost I am an athlete.”

Cold Ash hammer thrower Charlotte Payne has had to overcome more than most to get to where she is.

She was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when she was just three-years-old and doctors told her parents she’d struggle with her balance, one of the fundamental tenets of hammer throw.

But Payne had other ideas and 17 years later is celebrating being nominated for the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year award alongside five of the UK’s finest deaf athletes.

The hammer thrower has thrived in the sport since winning her first competition, the Berkshire Championships, in 2011 and is now one of Team GB’s most exciting talents and the holder of the deaf world record.

Payne’s deafness has never defined her and she competes in mainstream sport, becoming just the third British woman ever to throw more than 70 metres when she won the UK Athletics Championship in Manchester in June.

Despite agonisingly missing out on the Commonwealth Games, she was part of the GB squad at the European Championship in Munich and looks well placed to be a real force on the international stage in years to come.

The 20-year-old has Olympic ambitions and all the while is determined to inspire the next generation of athletes to follow her lead in breaking down barriers that at the time of her diagnosis must have seemed insurmountable.

Payne’s nomination for the DSPOTY award thus recognises her achievements in the sport of hammer throw as well as her wider role in athletics, both deaf and mainstream, as she continues to demonstrate that her hearing loss isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.

“It means so much to me to be nominated,” Payne said.

“Competing in mainstream athletics means I don’t get to engage all that much with other deaf athletes, so this is a great opportunity to meet other athletes that are like me.

“Being recognised for my success this season also means a lot to me as it shows that my hard work over the last few years, including during the pandemic, has paid off.

“I’ve really started to open up about my hearing loss so it’s a great reason to embrace my deafness.”

Inevitably, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Payne, who admits she used to feel self conscious about her hearing and struggled with a distinct lack of deaf athletes to look up to.

The pandemic proved a crucial turning point as face masks meant she was unable to lip read and had to openly discuss her deafness with fellow athletes and competition officials.

She said: “Growing up competing in athletics, I didn’t have many deaf role models to aspire to.

“I feel it would have been so beneficial to have a deaf athlete I could relate to and speak with about their experiences.

“As I navigated my hearing loss in a mainstream sport, I have had to learn as I go and figure out what I need to be on a level playing field with my competitors.

“I hope I can pave the path for any deaf people wanting to take part in athletics, if I can manage to inspire and encourage at least one person to take part in sport then I’ll have done my job.

“I really want to prove to people that being deaf isn’t a big deal.

“It’s important to highlight some of the obstacles deaf people have to break through, but I think those obstacles have made me even more committed and determined.

"As I've progressed through the sport, I truly feel like I have brought some deaf awareness to athletics.

"Officials, competitors and competition organisers previously didn't have any experience of working with deaf athletes but now procedures and processes are being put in place to help deaf or hearing impaired athletes.

"This is making the sport hopefully more inclusive.

“Being deaf doesn’t mean I can’t achieve my goals and dreams.”

Payne improved her personal best distance by a staggering 6.5 metres this year and is now in winter training ahead of a 2023 season in which she'll be looking to progress even further, with her sights set on the European Under-23 Championships in Finland and the World Championships in Hungary.

Payne said: "I feel like I am in the best shape for 2023, hopefully we are in for another good year."