Summary:
Rylee Foster, goalkeeper for Dallas Trinity FC, has become the first U.S. Division I professional women’s soccer player with hearing loss, using her platform to raise awareness, inspire others, and advocate for greater inclusion in sports.
Key Takeaways:
- Foster’s historic signing with Dallas Trinity FC highlights that hearing loss is not a barrier to success in professional athletics.
- As a Phonak ambassador, she champions hearing health and encourages greater awareness and acceptance in sports.
- Her resilience is shaped by her family’s experiences, recovery from a near-fatal accident, and a commitment to breaking barriers for the hearing loss community.
This past year, professional soccer player Rylee Foster has been serving as a brand ambassador and hearing health champion for Phonak. In this role, Foster is raising public awareness about hearing health, breaking down barriers associated with hearing loss, and emphasizing the significance of hearing devices. This summer, Foster made history as the first-ever athlete with hearing loss to sign with a Division I (D1) professional women’s soccer team, Dallas Trinity FC.
Foster grew up with hearing loss, a condition that has also affected both her mother and sister. She watched her mother push herself to thrive in a career that depended on her ability to connect with people. As Foster finds her own ways to make an impact, she credits her grit to her upbringing, a near-fatal car accident four years ago, and to a sport she thought she would never play again.
“I’m excited to join Dallas Trinity and call Dallas, a city rooted deep in sports culture, my new home,” says Foster, Phonak ambassador and goalkeeper for Dallas Trinity FC. “As a woman and professional athlete living with hearing loss, I’m honored to be a part of an organization that empowers women to change the world through sport. My role as a Phonak ambassador complements what I aspire to achieve on and off the field. I’ve become more open about my hearing loss because it makes me who I am.” Foster continues, “I don’t think there’s enough being done for the hard of hearing community, especially in sports, in terms of awareness and acceptance. That’s why Trip Neil, our club’s founder and COO, who also has hearing loss and overcame barriers, has been such an inspiration for me.”
Trip Neil, founder and chief operating officer of Dallas Trinity FC and former president of the USA Deaf Soccer Association, is part of the Neil family that founded the club. Like Foster, Trip also made history by holding the most career appearances of any U.S. Deaf Men’s National Team player.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Rylee to Dallas. Her talent and career speak for itself,” says Neil. “Not only has she shown her resilience and strength on the field, but Rylee is proving every day that hearing loss is not a limitation. Her ambition, ability, and character align perfectly with our values at Dallas Trinity FC. We are proud that she has chosen this team and city for the next chapter of her career.”
“Rylee is a champion in every sense, on and off the field, and as a voice for the hearing loss community,” says Oliver Frank, vice president of Phonak Marketing. “Her story proves that hearing loss is no barrier to excellence. Alongside our other ambassadors, she’s inspiring people everywhere to chase their dreams, connect fully, and live without limits.”
Featured image: Phonak Ambassador Rylee Foster made history as the first-ever athlete with hearing loss to sign with a Division I (D1) professional women’s soccer team, Dallas Trinity FC. Photo: Phonak
