Ambulance Medic Eyes England Recall After Discovering Deafness During COVID
By Community Correspondent
A London Ambulance Service emergency medical technician who only discovered she was deaf during the pandemic is hoping for a second call-up to the England Deaf Women’s Rugby Union team.
A remarkable medic at London Ambulance Service is hoping for another call-up to the England Deaf Women’s Rugby Union team next month.
Emergency Medical Technician Zoe Cox has already earned five international caps since making her debut in South Africa in 2024 and now has her sights set on selection for a test match series in Jamaica in February.
Zoe, 28, only discovered she was deaf during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mandatory mask-wearing made lip-reading impossible.
Until then, she had spent her entire life unknowingly compensating for severe hearing loss.
“I didn’t know any different. At school I was always getting in trouble and getting moved to the front – but that was the only way I could follow,” she said.
“I thought I was really naughty. But now I realise how hard I was working to adapt.”
Sport became a refuge from an early age.
Excelling in physical activity, Zoe found she could rely on gestures and body language to communicate effectively. She played football before moving into rugby, where she continued to thrive.
So effective was her ability to mask her hearing loss that she completed a degree and went on to work as a physiotherapist with England Rugby, later becoming a PE teacher before joining London Ambulance Service. Throughout this time, she continued playing rugby.
It was only during the pandemic that Zoe was formally diagnosed as being deaf in both ears and fitted with hearing aids.
“It was miraculous,” she said. “I could suddenly hear things I didn’t know existed before. Like finding out just how loud the ambulance sirens are!”
Initially concerned that the diagnosis might put her career at risk, Zoe instead focused on adapting and seeking reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
She also found support from mentor Richard Webb-Stevens, a deaf paramedic at London Ambulance Service, who helped her navigate both the practical and emotional challenges of working on the frontline.
When she is not responding to emergencies, Zoe can be found training at the gym or with her rugby team. Her commitment and resilience earned her selection to the England Deaf Women’s Rugby Union team in August 2024.
She represented England in South Africa and will soon learn whether she has been selected to compete in Jamaica.
“In rugby, I don’t need to hear everything to play,” she said. “I can read the game and read the players and trust my instincts.
“Those instincts also help with my patients. Not everyone can tell you what’s wrong – they might not know or might not have the words. Being able to read people can make all the difference.”
