By David Freer

I was told at age 8, in the second grade, that I had a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. My diagnosis came six years before I discovered my lifelong passion for physical fitness, and almost five decades before I used my athletic talent to fundraise for Hearing Health Foundation (HHF)’s hearing loss research.

The doctors attributed my hearing loss to my mother’s contraction of German measles during her pregnancy with me. She and my dad, a Navy Petty Officer (E-6), could afford only a hearing aid for my left ear although I needed one for both ears. 

Wearing a hearing aid was miserable at first. Other students picked on me and gave me funny looks. In response, I covered my hearing aid with a beanie. After some adjustment, I realized how much the device benefited me. My communication and grades improved significantly.

At 14 I began lifting weights because I wanted to be like my brother, seven years older than me, and Lou Ferrigno, best known as the Incredible Hulk, who also has a hearing loss. By 19 I was participating in bodybuilding contests. I liked weight lifting because it taught me discipline and how to set goals and work toward them daily. 

I wanted to join the military like my dad and brother, but my hearing loss prevented that. I enrolled in college where I participated in ROTC and studied Secondary Education and History before beginning my career as a specialty foods entrepreneur. 

Years later, I pursued a master’s in nutrition to prepare me for my present-day career in personal training. Nothing inspires me like helping others achieve their fitness goals. It is truly amazing when clients see the results of their lifestyle changes.

During Memorial Day Weekend 2019 at the annual Patriotic Festival in Virginia Beach, VA, where I live, I became aware of the military pull-up records. I tried them myself and, after so many years of weight-lifting, they just came naturally. I studied champions’ form and momentum and decided I wanted to defeat the Guinness World Record of 68 pull-ups exacted in one minute. 

With the help of my employer, OneLife Fitness, I scheduled the challenge for my 55th birthday at the gym. I chose to pair the event with a fundraiser for HHF on Facebook, where I was able to not only raise funds, but bring more awareness into the community about the good work of HHF. 

I chose HHF because the scientific pursuit of better treatments and cures for hearing loss is so important to me. A cure for hearing loss would help so many, including military veterans, 60% of whom come back from combat suffering from some type of hearing deficit.

A few months after I launched my fundraiser, the big day came on Dec. 21, 2019. I was surrounded by a large crowd—friends, family, and those who’d learned of the event through social media—as well as folks from WAVY-TV 10, an NBC-affiliated television station in Virginia, and WNOB radio.

In the end, I didn’t achieve the pull-up record, as I only completed 50 reps in one minute. I injured my arm about six weeks prior to the event which slowed my momentum.

Still, I am pleased with my results and believe I have grown tremendously through this experience. When confronted with challenges, you either overcome them or they will defeat you. I learned to overcome by staying focused on the end result and knowing that I was going to continue to matter what. 

Even though I didn't achieve the goal, I inspired people who came up to me congratulating me. Many said they were looking forward to making a lifestyle change. To inspire others to do better in their lives means more to me than winning a world record any day!

David Freer lives in Virginia Beach, VA.