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.
5 fun facts about me…
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Healthy food does not have to scream ‘knitted lentil’ - I am obsessed with taste and flavour. My cook book collection is rather large and ever-growing, it’s my guilty secret - shhh!
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As you do… I’m seriously happy chatting to pretty much anyone.
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They are the devil’s food, most definitely not an aphrodisiac and should be banned!
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I only started last year and I have already upgraded my board to a racing one. You’re never too old to learn a new sport!
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For my fire-fighting training. It was pitch black, very hot and smoky - and I couldn’t wear my hearing aid in case it would melt from the heat. Real fire fighters have my utmost respect.