The Phonak Ambassador will proudly feature a Leo the Lion golf head cover to help inspire children with hearing loss.
Warrenville, IL – July 18, 2017 – Professional golfer Kaylin Yost is one of two American golfers selected to represent Team USA at the 2017 Deaflympics Summer Games, an International Olympics Committee (IOC)-sanctioned event where deaf and hard of hearing athletes compete at an elite level. In addition to her goal of bringing home a gold medal, the 25-year old Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native and life-long hearing aid wearer is also working to inspire children with hearing loss by appearing as an Ambassador for Phonak, the leading global provider of pediatric and adult hearing aids. The Games kick off today in Samsun, Turkey, where more than 2,500 elite athletes from 113 countries will attempt to perform their personal best at an international event that dates back to 1924.
Golf Pro Kaylin with Leo.
An active volunteer and well-known role model for children with hearing loss, Kaylin will publicly debut her Leo the Lion golf club head cover at the Games for the first time. Leo is the pediatrics mascot created by Phonak in 2014 to help children feel more comfortable with their hearing loss and hearing aids through a variety of learning tools including a storybook, an interactive app, web-based listening exercises and of course, a plush Leo doll.
“I’m thrilled to represent Team USA for women’s golf and to have Phonak support me at the Deaflympics in Turkey,” says Kaylin. "This will be the first year the Deaflympics is hosting golf and being selected to represent my country is both an honor and a privilege. My plan is to bring home the gold medal. But no matter what happens, I want kids to know that being deaf or wearing hearing aids should never stop you from achieving your dreams. And I’m so excited to have Leo the Lion along with me to help spread that message.”
A Phonak wearer herself, Kaylin has faced more than her own share of medical challenges. She is almost entirely deaf, her parents discovering when she was two years old that she had a 90 percent hearing loss. But her hearing loss wasn’t the first bit of adversity she had to overcome. At birth, Kaylin was born with two dislocated hips and doctors initially told her parents her daughter would never be able to walk.
After two hip operations and 16 months in a body cast, Kaylin defied the odds and learned to walk and eventually play golf as a young girl. She earned a college scholarship to Campbell University in North Carolina, where she won four individual titles and was a two-time Big South Conference player of the year. Upon graduation in 2014, Kaylin turned pro, and has appeared in two Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments this year including the LPGA Bank of Hope Founders Cup where she opened with a 5-under 67.
“Kaylin is a wonderful example of Phonak’s mission to work together with hearing care professionals around the world to fight the stigma and tear down the barriers of hearing loss,” said Jan Metzdorff, President of Phonak US. “That’s why we are so proud to support her in her quest for the gold. Despite all her challenges, she has been relentless in her pursuit of her dreams and her desire to help others pursue theirs. That kind of spirit is exactly what our company was founded on more than 70 years ago.”
The 2017 Deaflympics Summer Games run from July 18 through July 30 in Samsun, Turkey. Golf Tournaments begin with a Qualifying Round 1 on July 20 and conclude with the Final Round on July 26.
About Phonak
In 2017, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary. Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, was born in 1947 from a passion and dedication to take on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains. As the industry’s leading provider, we offer the broadest portfolio of life-changing hearing solutions. From pediatric to profound hearing loss, we remain committed to creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. We believe in changing lives and creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone. For more information, please visit www.phonak.com, www.phonakpro.com or the Phonak Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
