‘I have no limits’, says deaf mum of two who did not speak until age 11 but made history as a ski instructor

Thought to be France’s only deaf female ski instructor, a 52-year-old mother of two who did not speak until age 11 is now teaching hearing and non-hearing people using lip-reading and sign language on the slopes and says anything is possible for people who cannot hear – “just hurdles that can be overcome”.

Sophie Chardon, 52, who was born deaf, made it her mission to become a ski instructor at age 12, despite being non-verbal until she was 11 and barely anyone believing in her dream – with even her parents feeling hesitant.

When Sophie was growing up, there were hardly any deaf skiers for her to look up to, and now, after being a ski instructor for over 20 years, she has only come across seven other deaf ski instructors in the whole of France, but all were male.

Sophie, who lives in Courchevel, France, with her husband, Michel, 56, and their two sons, Raphael, 21, and Vincent, 20, has said her hearing clients often do not know she is deaf and then “panic” when they find out, but still return to her for more lessons.

Skiing makes Sophie feel “pure pleasure, freedom and joy” and wishes more deaf people were encouraged to take up the sport.

“There are no limits when you are deaf, just hurdles that can be overcome,” Sophie said.

Sophie began skiing aged seven in Courchevel, France.

At age 12, she decided she wanted to become a ski instructor but, despite her enthusiasm for the sport, her parents were unsure if her dream career was achievable.

“I wanted to do ski study, and my parents did not let me go because they were afraid I would have difficulties because of my deafness,” she said.

“Ski study is when you ski in the winter and go to school in the other months, but my parents did not let me go because they were afraid that I would not pass my studies.”

Sophie explained that, when she was growing up, there were no deaf skiers or ski instructors for her to look up to but she had one ski coach who pushed her to achieve her dreams.

“The person who had the biggest impact on me was a former artistic ski coach, it is thanks to him that I am where I am now as it was he who pushed me a lot to get to my level of skiing and that’s how I managed to get back up mentally when I needed it,” she said.

Throughout Sophie’s childhood, barely anyone believed that she could make it as a ski instructor because of her deafness.

She said: “It has been my passion since childhood, and I have always been told that it is not possible because I am deaf from birth and at the time, I did not speak, but I never gave up.”

Many of Sophie’s peers had reservations about her dream job because she could not talk until she was 11 years old.

She explained: “My parents took me to a speech therapist, and I started to speak maybe around 11 years old word by word, and at age 17 to 20, I progressed a little more.

“After around 22 years old, I progressed, and I progress every day.”

Sophie achieved her lifelong dream of getting her ski diploma and becoming a ski instructor in 1998, at age 25, but she has faced criticism throughout her life.

She said: “In the beginning, I had a lot of criticism from the deaf; they said that it is not possible.

“There were criticisms of jealousy too because I’m not originally from the mountains, and I got the diploma very quickly, and they didn’t think I’d be able to.

“I admit that I do not speak very well in English because I am deaf and I do not hear sounds very well already in French, so it is even more difficult in English.

“I only read lips – I speak with very simple sentences.”

Despite being a ski instructor for over 20 years, Sophie has only encountered seven deaf instructors.

She said: “In France, there are seven deaf ski instructors, but I am the only woman in France, even in the world.

“I try to encourage women despite the lack of accessibility for the deaf.”

Sophie can teach hearing and non-hearing people as she is highly skilled at lip reading.

She said: “I teach everyone – I can lip read, which helps when teaching hearing clients.

“But I am not very chatty for obvious reasons.

“When teaching deaf clients, I solely use sign language, and the deaf clients are so happy to have this option for them.”

Sophie explained how hearing clients react when they discover she is deaf: “Often when I tell the customers that I am deaf, they panic because they worry we will not be able to communicate.

“But, I just reassure them, and we try a lesson for one or two days, and often, suddenly, I end up training them for a week.

“I had one client say I wasn’t very chatty, but that is because he didn’t realise I was deaf, which made my day.

“I also have clients say I increase their confidence which means everything to me.”

Looking to the future, Sophie hopes there will be more accessibility in the training to be a ski instructor for deaf people.

She said: “There is a lack of public information, and many do not know that I am deaf and I teach skiing, but I want the world to know that it is totally possible to be deaf and a ski instructor.”