Personal Statement
I have always been determined.
I was diagnosed with a severe bilateral hearing loss at the age of two. As kids my age started stringing sentences together, I was trapped in a silent world, unable to hear, and unable to communicate. I was soon fitted with hearing aids and entered the uniquely challenging world of growing up and living with a severe hearing impairment.
I worked hard and soon managed to make up for what I had lost. By school age my speech and language was age appropriate. I enjoyed school and performed well, surpassing all expectations and consistently being one of the top students in my school.
School was the easy part.
Living on a Mediterranean island, my long summers were spent at the seaside. All us kids would gather at the water’s edge to watch our local water polo heroes swimming through the glittering water, leaping forward to intercept the ball, executing to perfection the instructions shouted out to them by their coach. Oh, how we longed to be like them! We would scamper into the water, and toss the ball to each other, frantically trying to emulate our heroes. The water polo veterans would chuckle as they watched us. Playing in the water, without my hearing aids, I could not hear their comments, but their sad smiles as they looked at me betrayed their thoughts on the little chance a deaf child had of succeeding in water polo.
But I would not be deterred. I trained harder than everyone else. I was focused and attentive. Every night, after training, I would watch videos of the best water polo teams, lapping up every bit of information I could find to improve my game. A small price to pay to reach my goal of forming part of the team at the club where I grew up. And as the summers went by, those sad smiles gradually changed into expressions of surprise and respect. I became a key player for my club, playing both in my age group as well as with the first team in the Premier Division League.
In January 2019, my progress caught the attention on the Malta National Team Coach and I was called up to the Under 17 National Team. I have so far played 22 matches with the National Team culminating in the participation in the European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia this year, where we placed 12th.
Each time I remove my hearing aids and plunge into the water I am completely alone. I cannot hear my team mates calling for the ball, I cannot hear the coach calling out instructions, I cannot hear the referee’s whistle. I must rely only on myself and must make my own decisions. As I raise my head from the water, and look up at the young children, spurring us on, and calling out our names, I recall the summers spent by the water, and have come to realise the important role I have to inspire others.
My success, against all odds, has touched the lives of many, and has motivated children and youths in my home country to embrace their difficulties and challenges, and work hard for what they dream to achieve. I have been invited to support and mentor young boys at a local community club and talk about my experience. The Research Department at the University of Malta, on hearing my story and the challenges I have had to overcome, have embarked on a project to build electronic devices to facilitate participation in sport for deaf athletes worldwide.
On the academic front, I have continued to achieve high grades and intend to read for a degree in Accounting. I give immense importance to my role to continue inspiring others. Playing in a water polo league outside my country whilst reading for a degree, would not only be a major personal success, but would also allow me to reach out to young people in other countries to demonstrate that, with perseverance and determination, everything is possible.
Gabriel Melillo
