Dr Libby Steele, who completed her doctorate in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Bangor University’s School of Psychology and Sport Science, won the Young STEM in Sport Award at the Community Sport and Recreation Awards: Youth Edition 2025.

The academic, who was crowned at a special celebration hosted by the Sport and Recreation Alliance at St James's Palace, focussed her doctoral thesis on the experience of deaf athletes and those who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language, when competing in athletics.

She was presented with her trophy by Alliance President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

When competing alongside hearing athletes in athletics, deaf athletes are typically faced with variable starting systems, such lights, flags, and vibrating armbands, which are combined with a sound. The aim of this is to encourage inclusion.

However, the study found that a lack of consistency with regards to technologies adopted has led to unequal opportunities for fast reaction times between deaf and hearing athletes. Given that reaction time is a critical element of performance in sprint events, the aim was to determine whether current starting systems present a disadvantage for deaf athletes.

It is hoped that the research will inform the development of a standardised starting system that will enhance the equality for deaf athletes in sport.

Dr Libby Steele said, “I was born deaf, so I have had to overcome adversity with regards to communication, social inclusion and other barriers my entire life. Since becoming older, I realised the extent of the inequalities faced by the deaf community and felt like I had to do something to change this.

“The aim of my PhD was to inform the development of a standardised starting system that will enhance the equality for deaf athletes in sport. Currently there is no explicit performance pathway or standardised starting system in place for deaf athletes. This hinders the accessibility and provision for deaf athletes, and acts as a significant barrier on the road towards greater equality.”

Dr Vicky Gottwald, Senior Lecturer Sport and Exercise Sciences at Bangor University, and Libby’s Doctoral Supervisor said, “Libby is a truly deserving candidate for this award. She has invested the last decade at Bangor, using her research to advocate for deaf athletes. Libby’s Doctoral studies in Sport and Exercise Sciences, centred around using motor learning paradigms to identify and raise awareness of reaction time inequities faced by D/deaf athletes on the start line.

“Whilst working for Welsh Athletics and Disability Sport Wales, Libby has continued to be an ambassador for the University and I am delighted that she will be returning as a researcher on the Deaf Health and Well-Being Wales project led by Dr Christopher Shank”.

Libby is currently Inclusion and Engagement Coordinator at Welsh Athletics, as well Deaf Sport Senior Officer at Disability Sport Wales, and will shortly return to Bangor University to take up a research post for the Deaf Health and Well-Being Wales project.

The aim of the 3-year, £1.04 million project, in which Bangor University is working alongside a number of partners, is to improve health and healthcare services at every stage through work with deaf people, the NHS, health boards and other service providers.

It will be developing an online dictionary and resources to help interpreters, service providers and those interested in signed languages and signed language research. In addition to this, it is developing video guide apps to improve access to Eryri National Park, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.