Smiling woman cooking, wearing bright coral top, chopping watermelon, bright pink and orange sweet peas in vase. Think Health Coaching with Anna Kirton

Hello, I’m Anna Kirton.

Water baby and devoted foodie, born and raised in a world not built for people with hearing loss.

I empower others to live with confidence, balance, and joy through heartfelt coaching and support.

Diagnosed with congenital sensorineural hearing loss at just two and a half years old, I grew up navigating a world that wasn’t designed for deaf people. My hearing loss - profound in my right ear and moderate to severe in my left - is permanent and likely occurred during pregnancy. I wear a powerful hearing aid and, thanks to intensive speech therapy in early childhood and again in my teenage years, I developed near-normal speech. While this has been a gift, it has also been a challenge - my speech often masks the extent of my hearing loss, leading many to assume I can hear far better than I actually do.

I was educated in mainstream schools where deaf awareness was almost non-existent. I often felt isolated and misunderstood, and I left school with poor grades - not for lack of effort, but due to the barriers I faced every day.

As a young adult, I ventured abroad, living and working in Hong Kong and Rome. I learned Italian, worked in photojournalism and taught English. Back then, I rarely disclosed my deafness, fearing the stigma and discrimination that too often come with it.

Everything began to shift when I returned to the UK and started working for the RNID as a Deaf Awareness Trainer. I learned British Sign Language and, more importantly, I learned to advocate for myself. During this time, I married my first husband, who had been diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer, devastatingly he passed away much too young, but his unwavering humanity and strength left a profound legacy that continues to guide me.

My passion for the sea and sailing has taken me from racing on catamarans in international championships - often in silence due to not being able to wear my hearing aid - to having to ensure my hearing aid stayed dry on my race yacht when crossing oceans. All this led me to become a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore - to earn that title, I had to demonstrate to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency that my hearing loss posed no safety risk. I went on to work in sail training and skippering yachts, proving that disability does not equal inability.

Today, I’m a mother, a health coach and a passionate advocate for living fully and authentically. Whether I’m out on the water, working with clients, or simply navigating the day-to-day, I draw on my lived experience to empower others. Hearing loss does not define me - it has shaped my resilience, deepened my compassion and strengthened my determination to help others overcome their own challenges.

happy woman with hearing loss holding blue and orange stand up paddle board SUP, on beach under trees. Think Health Coaching with Anna Kirton

Read my interviews on:

The Real Edit‍ ‍ Avani Health Hub

5 fun facts about me…