Student-Athlete Matthea Gaines Breaks the Sound Barrier

Silence.

That’s what first-year student Matthea Gaines experiences at the starting blocks when racing for the Pacific Lutheran University women’s swim team. Born deaf, Gaines hasn’t let that silence define her, finding success in her first season as a collegiate swimmer at PLU.

Gaines was born in Cebu City, Philippines where as a deaf child, there were few resources to help Gaines get a proper education. Gaines’ mother wanted her to be able to have the best opportunities and life possible while being deaf, so at the age of three, Gaines and her mother moved from the Philippines to the United States.

While growing up near the coast of Washington, Gaines and her family did crabbing and fishing in the summers. Gaines’ mother recognized her love and fascination with the water and decided to sign her up for swimming lessons at the age of seven. From there, she took off and joined competitive swimming. She earned a spot swimming for the U.S. in the 2023 World Deaf Swimming Championships in Argentina, and was selected to swim for the U.S. in the Deaflympics this coming November.

“I grew up attending a deaf and hard-of-hearing school where I wasn’t exposed to the hearing world very much. Then I transferred to a mainstream middle school through high school. It was a life-changing experience for me to be around hearing people,” Gaines shared.

It wasn’t until transitioning to a mainstream school that Gaines started experiencing more challenges with being deaf.

“I had to learn how to advocate for myself. A lot of the times in the classroom, teachers wouldn’t let me use my accommodations such as note taking and time extensions on quizzes or exams. They believed it was unfair for other hearing students around me to use these accommodations,” explained Gaines.

When deciding on where to go to college after high school, Gaines chose to stay close to home and attend PLU.

Although Gaines felt welcomed and supported when she came to PLU and joined the swim team, she felt nervous about feeling like a part of the team.

Thankfully, these nerves didn’t last long.

“Before coming to PLU, I was very nervous and worried [about] meeting the swim team because I am Deaf. In the beginning of September, they made me feel at home, comfortable around them, and knew how to be inclusive with me,” Gaines expressed. “I remember we started with phone texting and writing notes back and forth during the team bonding events. Now, a lot of them know American Sign Language to communicate with me, which shows me that they are willing to make sure I’m involved.”

Along with support from her new teammates, Gaines expressed her gratitude for her coaches, Andrew Lum and Bret Foreman, for advocating for and protecting her in many ways.

When competing, Gaines relies on a flashing light to know when to dive off the starting block and begin the race. Along with the light, the referees at the meets have a hand signal to mark the start of the race that Gaines can look at. However, this swim season, Gaines experienced some additional trouble with this.

“During the season, I had to deal several times with the referees doing the wrong hand start signals at the meets. Having […] Coach Andrew, Coach Bret, and [my] teammates’ extra support helps me to overcome my barriers. All of this kind of support is rare; I am really grateful being part of the PLU swim family,” Gaines shared.

This year at the 2025 NWC Swim Championships hosted at the King County Pool in Federal Way, there was a light on the starting block to signify the start of the race. Gaines appreciated this accommodation and hopes to see this action taken at more pools in the future.

Another accommodation that Gaines has received at PLU includes having interpreters with her in classes, at practices, and at swim meets. This allows Gaines to fully experience college life.

“PLU has had several deaf students, and they have a history of knowing how to request interpreters for my classes and swim practices. Shoutout to Austin Beiermann [PLU’s Director for Accessibility and Wellbeing Resources] for coordinating with interpreter requests all the time. My transition into the first fall semester was very smooth, thanks to him,” Gaines acknowledged.

Despite the challenges that Gaines faces as a deaf student-athlete, she is grateful for her opportunities and likes to keep a positive mindset. At one of the away meets this season, some of Gaines’ classmates decorated everyone’s hotel room doors with inspirational quotes and pictures.

On Gaines door was the quote: “better than yesterday.”

“You just move on, no matter if it was a great day or a bad day. There will always be better days. I’ve experienced many barriers in swimming with my hearing, but it doesn’t mean I have to let it be what it needs to be. I always find a way to improve an inclusive environment for my future deaf and hard-of-hearing young swimmers,” Gaines expressed.