Professional Tri-athlete, Lorcan Redmond, uses Signia Active.

For professional Australian tri-athlete Lorcan Redmond, high performance is the name of the game.

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Hearing aids

Lorcan Redmond, professional Tri-athlete, talks about his Signia Active hearing aids - YouTube

Successful in elite events against able-bodied competition the world over, Lorcan's path to the top of his field has been far from simple.

First diagnosed with a hearing loss at the age of three, the reality of Lorcan's issue revealed itself when he started school, with his struggles to follow a conversation in turn leading to learning difficulties.

 

“I was missing a lot of things that people take for granted I was not hearing instructions, I wasn’t hearing numbers and sentences. It was really difficult,” Lorcan shared.

 

In 2005, Lorcan was officially tested and issued with hearing aids, which at that time were big and bulky and sat over the top of the outside of the ear, drawing unwanted attention.

“I was a bit embarrassed… it wasn’t something that a lot of kids had…It felt like I had a big neon sign on my head saying: I’m hearing impaired. I’ve got a hearing loss.”

Now 20 years old, Lorcan has been wearing hearing aids for the past 15 years, while his passion for triathlon commenced at the age of 12.

A naturally active young boy with athletic talent, Lorcan started competing in the NSW Schools Champions as a triathlete in 2013. Within 12 months, he had not only medalled on a number of occasions, but set a world record in the 5000m for an under 13 male.

 

After completing his HSC and graduating from Newcastle Grammar School in 2018, Lorcan’s steely determination to make the most of every opportunity, saw him spend 2019 living overseas where he trained and competed, representing Australia.

 

That same year, whilst training on his road bike in Spain, Lorcan had removed his hearing aids, due to wind interference, and was left wheelchair-bound after a hit and run incident.

 
Despite this adversity Lorcan persisted and went on to take Silver at the World Junior Championships in Switzerland.

 

Enter the Signia Active Pro, a game-changing design that bridges the gap between premium consumer earbuds and superior quality hearing aids.

 

In a case of form meeting function, it was the "James Bond" styling that initially drew Lorcan to the design, but it is the operation of the devices that enable him to perform at his peak.

 

“They are a very cool looking piece of equipment, but they also functioned even better than they looked,” explained Lorcan.

 
In a schedule which sees him training 30 hours a week, hearing is imperative – knowing exactly what his coaches and teammates are saying takes the stress and guesswork out of mastering three separate disciplines.

While his previous bulky hearing aids would often be taken off during training, this is no longer the case. Now, the ability to hear the traffic around him is a comfort, with Signia Active's automatic situation detection cutting out much of the wind noise, which rendered previous systems impractical.

 

The comfortable design has also meant that the units are not perceptible during his rigorous workout regime, and despite constant movement, they have never fallen out.

A vital feature for Lorcan is the Signia App, which allows him to tailor the Signia Active functions, including Tinnitus levels, group, or one-on-one conversation modes, plus a host of other settings, making it the first time in his life he has used a customisable hearing aid.

 

Another handy innovation is the pocket-sized Signia Active charging case, which automatically recharges the device for up to 26 hours, ideal for when Lorcan hits the pool for training.

“When I take them out for swimming training, I simply put them in the case and they charge back up… and are ready to go when I’ve finished.”

 

Lorcan’s favorite feature is the outstanding audio quality provided by Signia Active which is complimented by its all new state-of-the-art Bluetooth streaming option, allowing Lorcan to listen to his music, watch videos from his phone and take phone calls with the audio feeding direct into the device all while he is on the go.

 

Wearing Signia Active hearing aids, means Lorcan can now stand on the starting line with 70 other triathletes and hear the subtle sounds many of us take for granted. He can ride a bike on an open road, listen to music and hear if there are cars behind him. He can hear the instructions of his coach clearly and not miss conversations with his teammates, family and friends.

"With a product like Signia Active there is no excuse to not act on hearing loss and get what you need to help you live a fuller life. The technology is so great that I put these in and think I’m wearing headphones, but I can just hear a lot better.”

 

Confident, determined, and open about his hearing loss, it is clear being fitted with the Signia Active has been a game-changer for Lorcan Redmond, both personally and professionally.

Lorcan is currently training and preparing for the World Championships which are scheduled for the end of this year, with the ultimate goal of heading to Birmingham next year for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

 

You can learn more about Signia Active here

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