Jeff Float – Swimming, USA

Jeff Float became an Olympic gold medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As thousands of fans cheered him on during the national anthem, he raised his hand, showing the “I love you” sign in sign language. He’d just become the first deaf swimmer to win a gold medal at the Olympics…

At just one-year-old, Float’s battle with viral meningitis left him with severe hearing impairment. With 65% and 90% deafness in his left and right ears, respectively, Float may not have been able to fully hear the fans cheering him on, but their roars for his success were incomparable.