“I want Deaf kids to see that they can achieve incredible things. Not just in sport, in anything. They’re capable, they’re powerful, and being Deaf isn’t a limit. It’s part of their story.”
Those are the words of Caleb McDuff, the 2024 Deaf Sports Personality of the Year, as he prepares to start a tour of schools across the UK to share his story.
Caleb, 17, a former Cwmbran High School pupil, is one of the only profoundly deaf competitors racing at an elite level in global motorsport.
The tour will visit both mainstream schools and specialist deaf education settings.
Caleb’s dad Ian, will join him on the tour.
Ian said: “When Caleb lost his hearing as a toddler, I made myself a promise. I promised that deaf or not, nothing would be allowed to take his dreams away. Everything we’ve built, from the early karting days, to racing the McLaren, to this schools Tour, is about showing deaf young people that their future can be bigger than anyone imagines.”
Caleb and Ian plan to give young people an honest, powerful look at their journey, including the struggles, the barriers, the breakthroughs, and the belief that kept them going.
Ian will also speak as a parent and how to navigate the education system, advocating for accessibility, fighting expectations, and creating opportunities that didn’t previously exist.
If you work in a school and are interested in booking a talk, use the contact page on Caleb’s website. Link in comments.
Schools interested in booking a talk as part of the tour can enquire via the contact page of Caleb’s website.