Words by Thomas Ingle | Images by Justin Hunter
For most people, hearing is just another sense. For Chloe Kacharos, it’s a gift she treasures.
Born deaf, Chloe has never let her hearing loss define her. Instead, she’s leaned into her passion for sports and proven that obstacles are no match for determination.
Chloe’s love for sports began at just four years old, when she picked up a softball for the first time. By eight, she had added basketball to her growing list of interests, and by sixth grade, she had embraced volleyball as well.
Now a junior at Cordova High School, Chloe is an all-around athlete who competes at a high level in all three sports.
On the volleyball court, she shines as a setter and right-side hitter. In basketball, she takes control as a guard. And on the softball field—her favorite arena—she dominates as a 3rd baseman and middle infielder.
“It’s a lot of movement and action at that position,” Chloe said, explaining her love for playing infield.
Her energy on the court and field matches her drive in the classroom, where she maintains an impressive 3.9 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club.
While the demands of being a student-athlete can be a challenge for anyone, Chloe faces additional hurdles as a deaf player. But instead of letting her hearing loss hold her back, she uses it as motivation.
“It can be hard at times, but I just know that I have to push myself,” she shared. “And I know the girls that I play with don’t look at me any different—they still look at me as a normal child.”
After high school, she plans to continue her softball career at Bevill State Community College while pursuing her dream of becoming an audiologist.
Her goal is to inspire and support other kids who, like her, face challenges with hearing loss.
“I want to help kids who struggle with confidence because of deafness,” Chloe explained. “I used to have low confidence when I was little because I thought everyone was going to look at me differently. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t care what other people think because I am the same as other people.”
Whether she’s diving for a ball on the infield or advocating for kids like her, Chloe shows that success isn’t about the obstacles you face, it’s about how you rise above them. WL
