Deafness no disability for England Sevens' Olympic hopeful Jodie Ounsley

The England Sevens star, who is from Dewsbury, was born prematurely and profoundly deaf, which makes her long list of achievements all the more incredible.

The 19-year-old was fitted with a cochlear implant shortly after her first birthday and despite only picking up a rugby ball aged 14 at Sandal rugby club in Wakefield, she has genuine hopes of becoming an Olympian next summer. She signed a professional contract with the England Sevens team in August, 2019 after impressing selectors in the 15-a-side code.

Ounsley had scored in the County Championship final for Yorkshire at Twickenham, featured for England Under-18s against Wales at the Principality Stadium and played for Loughborough Lightning in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.

The England Sevens player was named in the initial 24-woman Team GB training squad for the Tokyo games, with that number previously due to be narrowed down to just 13 before the Olympics, which have now been postponed to 2021.

Ounsley simply sees the delay, caused by the outbreak of the global pandemic, as something that will give her more time to perfect her game to make sure she will be on the flight to Tokyo in over 12 months’ time.

“I feel like I’m just at the start of my rugby journey,” said Ounsley, who has racked up 14 appearances for England Sevens in the 2020 World Rugby Sevens Series.

“I was in the Great Britain Sevens training squad, camps had started and I was working hard towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“The dates may have changed but my desire to make it to the Olympics is just as strong. I see the delay as more time to prepare for my childhood dream of being an Olympian.”

Every time Ounsley takes to the field she risks losing her hearing for good.

She has to wear a scum cap to protect her cochlear implant but insists that the chance to play rugby and reach the Olympics outweighs the risks posed.

She said: “I always have to wear a head guard to protect my cochlear implant.

“Rugby is giving me a career and an amazing life so I’m keen to maintain that whilst mitigating any potential risks.

“I’ve wanted to be an Olympian all my life and I’m determined to get there.”

Ounsley remembers occasions when she has ran the length of the field despite play being stopped because she couldn’t hear the whistle or being sin-binned by a referee, who thought she was ignoring his instructions.

However, she says she is not the type of player who looks for excuses when it comes to conquering the individual challenges she faces.

“I rely heavily on lip-reading, facial expressions and body language. That’s not always easy during a game,” said Ounsley, who scored her maiden try on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stage against Ireland in Cape Town.

“There have been occasions when I’ve run the length of the pitch to score only to discover I’d missed the whistle.

“It’s a lonely walk back when you do that. I always have to wear a head guard to protect my cochlear implant. This can be very uncomfortable playing in hot countries, overheating is always a danger.

“Selection at this level is very competitive. It has always been in the back of my mind coming through the various pathways that a hearing player may be selected instead of me. I think this has spurred me on to try even harder to improve and show what I can do.

“I’ve always been very honest with coaches and team-mates about being deaf, we can have a laugh, it’s not a taboo subject.

“Everyone has to know what communication methods work best for the whole team.”

Despite her lack of hearing, Ounsley believes there are advantages for her when on the pitch. She is constantly looking up to know where her team-mates are, giving her a better chance to exploit the space, something which is crucial during any sevens match.