Reigning Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux, has taken to social media to educate her followers about a lesser-known challenge faced by individuals with hearing impairments: deaf fatigue.
According to IOL, Mia, who withdrew from the Miss Universe finale due to health concerns, shared insights into her experience during the intense rehearsal period leading up to the event.
“We deaf individuals suffer from something called deaf fatigue because we actually concentrate so much harder on listening and following what is happening,” Le Roux explained. “So I moved through all of my duties very, very quickly so I could afford to take a rest day, and I think it was super important for me to do just that.”
Deaf fatigue occurs when the brain works overtime to process sounds and follow conversations, leading to exhaustion. Mia emphasised that while it’s not something to stress over, it’s essential to recognise the signs.
“You just rest a bit, and then you come back stronger and work even harder and fight for your space,” she said, adding that symptoms can include feeling extremely tired or experiencing vertigo.
Mia also shared her struggles with following instructions despite having a cochlear implant. “I’m supposed to be able to follow music, which I can’t do. Like other people who have cochlear implants who dance, they’ve had practice, they’ve learned a different way to follow it,” she said.
Reflecting on her time rehearsing with other contestants, she admitted, “When I tried to practice with all the girls, everyone was very loud and talking, and I couldn’t follow. It was just a lot. I feel inadequate.”
On Sunday, Miss Denmark Victoria Kjær Theilvig was crowned Miss Universe, with Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina as runner-up.
