Breaking the Sound Barrier: Racing Without Limits

I was born in Abergavenny, grew up in Pontypool, and now call Caerleon home. I attended Cwmbran High School, where the specialist support unit for deaf students gave me the understanding and confidence that helped shape who I am today

I was born hearing, but I lost my hearing as a toddler after a series of bad ear infections. At that age, you don’t really understand what’s happening; you just adapt. That’s what I did. I learned to communicate differently, to observe more, to feel things other people might not notice. Looking back, that ability to adapt and sense the world differently is what made me a racing driver.

When I first sat in a kart at six years old, I didn’t realise how unusual it was for a deaf kid to go racing. I couldn’t hear the engine or the other drivers around me, but I could feel everything. The vibration through the steering wheel, the grip of the tyres, and the changes in surface. It was like a new language, one that spoke through movement instead of sound. Racing became my way to communicate with the world.

From those early karting days, I started moving up through the ranks, learning as I went. In 2023, I made the jump into cars, starting with a little Citroën Saxo, then quickly moving to BMW, and by 2025, driving a McLaren GT4. Each step has been a huge learning curve, and I’m still learning every time I get in the car.

Even now, sound isn’t really how I connect with the car. I still rely a lot on feel, using vibrations and rhythm to know when to shift or how much grip I have. But in the McLaren, technology helps too. My race engineer can now talk to me directly through my cochlear implants, which is incredible. For the first time, I can hear his voice clearly while driving, something I never imagined would be possible.

As I’ve got older, my pride in being Welsh has grown stronger too. There aren’t many race circuits in Wales, though I did some of my first car driver training at Llandow near Cowbridge. But every time I’ve raced at Anglesey, it’s felt like coming home. There’s something special about racing with the Welsh flag on your car, knowing people back home are cheering you on. That feeling never goes away.

The support I’ve had from local communities across South Wales has been amazing. People who’ve followed my story since my karting days still message me now when I’m racing all over the UK, and even abroad. It really does mean a lot. Every time I line up on the grid, I feel like I’m representing everyone who’s helped me get here.

Next week, I’ll be heading to the United States for my first race overseas, representing Wales on an international stage. It’s a massive step and something I’m really excited about. To travel across the Atlantic and show what a young deaf driver from Wales can do is something I’m really proud of.

When I get back, the focus will shift to the next chapter, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2026. It’s one of the toughest and most respected championships in British motorsport, and I see it as the perfect stepping stone toward my ultimate goal: racing in the British Touring Car Championship. If I can do that, I’ll become the first deaf driver in BTCC history, and that’s something I’m determined to make happen, and before I'm 21.

We’ve already started sketching out the design for the Porsche, and let’s just say it’s going to have a big Welsh theme! I want everyone to know where I come from, because being Welsh isn’t just about where you live. It’s about spirit, resilience, and pride.

Losing my hearing could have stopped me from doing what I love, but growing up in South Wales, surrounded by people who believed in me, gave me the drive to keep going. Every time I race, I carry a bit of Wales with me. The support I’ve had from people back home has meant everything; it reminds me where I came from and who I’m racing for. I want to make history as the first deaf driver in the BTCC, and I’ll do it flying the Welsh flag. Wherever I race in the world, I’ll always be proud to say I’m from Wales. Racing’s taken me all over the UK and now internationally, but no matter where I go, Wales will always be home.

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