my name's jodie ounsley. i'm 22 years old, a professional rugby player for exeter chiefs. i was born premature, and i became ill quite quickly, and then we soon discovered that i was profoundly deaf. the only information that was given wasjodie probably won't be able to speak. she'll struggle in education, and herjob prospects will be bleak. of course, we now know that none of that is true. when i was 13 months old, i had a cochlear implant fitted on the right side. it's no cure, it's not normal hearing. itjust allows me to hear some sounds and mostly lip read. as i grew up, i learnt more about my deafness, and obviously, going through school, that's when i sort of faced challenges and struggled a little bit more. and then i discovered rugby, when i was around 15. i actually wanted to give it a go when my younger brother started, but my parents wouldn't allow me