Nathan Young: From silence to the world stage at the Deaflympics

Diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss shortly after his fourth birthday, Nathan Young’s journey to the elite level of deaf swimming has been anything but straightforward.

Now preparing to represent Great Britain at the 25th Deaflympics in Tokyo, Nathan’s story is one of perseverance, advocacy and belief in the power of sport to create change.

A challenging start

Born into a hearing family, Nathan’s early childhood was filled with uncertainty. Despite clear signs, including delayed speech, an intense focus on lip movements and unresponsiveness to sound, initial concerns were dismissed. A scheduled grommet operation was cancelled when a final hearing test revealed that Nathan was deaf.

The diagnosis brought clarity for his parents, but also unveiled a world unprepared for their son’s needs. School life proved difficult. Though assigned a Teacher of the Deaf, Nathan found himself isolated in classrooms that lacked understanding and access.

Miscommunication, underprepared teachers and constant change meant he was frequently left behind, both academically and socially.

Finding solace in the pool

Sport offered a glimmer of hope. Though early attempts at football ended in frustration and exclusion, one place always made sense – the water.

Swimming became a sanctuary where sound didn’t matter. From council-run lessons to joining a local swimming club, Nathan quickly found success. He represented his school in local galas and claimed victory, earning his first trophy and proudly declaring himself a swimmer.

But as his hearing declined further during secondary school, the emotional toll mounted. Lip-reading became a necessity, friendships were difficult to form and the hearing-centric curriculum grew harder to navigate. Eventually, Nathan was withdrawn from school to recover and regroup. It was a difficult time and swimming fell away.

A new start and a renewed purpose

Determined not to let their son be defined by limitations, Nathan’s parents sought a more supportive school. Around the same time, he joined a new swimming club and discovered GB Deaf Swimming. At his first training camp in Liverpool, he swam among peers who understood his world, athletes who competed not in spite of their deafness, but with pride in it.

At just 14-years-old, Nathan competed at the GB Deaf Swimming Championships in Loughborough. Watching the national team prepare for the European Championships, he set his sights on joining their ranks. Within a year, that dream came true.

Racing on the world stage

Nathan made his international debut at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Texas before travelling to Samsun, Turkey, for the 2017 Deaflympics. There, he achieved a lifelong goal of winning a bronze medal in the 4x100m Mixed Freestyle relay for Great Britain.

It was a moment of national pride, standing on the podium at one of the world’s oldest multi-sport events, second only to the Olympics. For Nathan, it was a defining milestone not just as a swimmer, but as a representative of deaf sport.

More championships followed: finals at the European Championships in Lublin, a solo campaign in Brazil at the 2019 World Championships and a fourth place world ranking at the 2021 Short Course Championships in Poland, all while competing without the support systems available to many international athletes.

Leading the call for change

Seeing this disparity firsthand, Nathan became a passionate advocate for greater support and inclusion for deaf athletes.

In 2024, he met with Swim England CEO Andy Salmon to share his experiences and push for meaningful change. Since then, Nathan has worked closely with Swim England and UK Deaf Sport to raise awareness, improve access and ensure the next generation of deaf swimmers have the tools to succeed.

“This fight has never been about me,” Nathan says. “It’s about making sure that no deaf athlete ever feels the way I did growing up – alone, excluded or forgotten.”

Looking ahead to Tokyo 2025

This summer, Nathan will compete at his second Deaflympics in Tokyo, once again representing Great Britain on the world stage. While the road has been challenging, he steps onto the blocks with pride, knowing how far he’s come.

Without the funding and support many of his competitors enjoy, Nathan has trained with resilience and purpose. His presence in Tokyo is not just a personal achievement, it’s a statement of what can be overcome and what must change.

As Swim England continues its commitment to greater inclusion in aquatics, this year saw a return to nationals for Nathan and other Deaflympians competing under the S15 classification. This is testament to his work and exemplifies his impact as a determined advocate and a symbol of what’s possible when perseverance meets opportunity.

Earlier this year, Swim England also spoke to another Deaflympic swimmer, Henry Hughes, to discuss his journey in the sport and his future ambitions. To read Henry’s story, please click here.