Kristin Ates: A deaf Swimmer who likes to win!

Great profile. Deafness is one of those disabilities where people actually can get mad at you for having a hearing deficit. The exasperation people get when they have to repeat themselves over and over is something deaf people hate. Instead of speaking slower, people start to yell, and get impatient. Lots of times deaf people will pretend they understand when they don't. Kirsten Ates seem to have overcome that with a cochlear implant and a lot of focus.

From Nola.com

Tulane Swimmer represented the USA well in the Deaf Olympics in Taiwan.

Ates is so assimilated into everyday life that she arrived at Tulane without telling anyone she was deaf, including her coach. Guarriello found out about Ates' disability from the Greenbackers booster club.

"They asked me how I planned on coaching a hearing-impaired athlete, and I was just clueless," Guarriello said. "All of Kristin's communications with me up until that point had been via e-mail, and I'd never anticipated anything like that. I guess she had been Googled (by the boosters) and it was kind of a shock. I felt a little embarrassed that I didn't know."

It's not that Ates is ashamed of her hearing loss. She embraces her disability. She represented the United States in the World Deaf Championships in Taiwan and willingly answers questions about her handicap.

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