ABOUT

Hi there! I'm Marne Sullivan

If you told my 18-year-old self that during my senior year on track media day, I would lift my hair (this photo right here) to reveal my cochlear implant (CI) for the world to see, she would have laughed and said...you're kidding right?? But here I am—so, how did I get here?

It started my freshman year of college when I was sitting alone in a dimly lit hospital waiting room, absolutely devastated after learning I couldn’t get an MRI for a foot injury because of my CI*. That moment hit hard. Not only was I completely out for the track season, but it was a brutal wake-up call, forcing me to actually confront the connection between my disability and my identity.

I felt stuck—caught between two worlds: one that is silent and one that is full of sound. At the time, I didn’t know any other d/Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing athletes, nor anyone who could truly understand what I was going through. So I did what I always did—kept it all to myself and pushed forward until I no longer couldn't.

Throughout my undergrad at Boston College, navigating hearing loss in a new environment made finding a sense of normalcy INCREDIBLY difficult. By my senior year, I recognized the significant lack of awareness and understanding around disabilities. Determined to create change, I founded the non-visible/visible disability sub-committee within Eagles for Equality, a DEI student-athlete committee, striving to break stigmas around disabilities in sports and on campus.

Growing up

My journey started when I was born with a rare type of hearing loss called Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD). In 2003, I became one of the first ANSD patients to receive a cochlear implant at 3½ years old at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. My early childhood was shaped by my time at Child’s Voice, an all-deaf school where I developed critical skills in self-advocacy, speech, and language.

Transitioning to a public school in second grade, I discovered my love for sports. From soccer and lacrosse to basketball and field hockey, I played it all before finding my true passion: running!

My parents were also very proactive in ensuring my success academically, athletically, and socially. They established a solid foundation by doing their own research, seeking out their resources, and finding support systems during my formative years. They acted as strong advocates for me until I was able to become my own advocate.

What now?

Today, I’m a former Division I student-athlete, professional speaker, content creator, and hearing loss advocate actively seeking support and sponsorships for the Deaflympics in November of 2025. I share my life on social media and continue my advocacy work through @hear_and_out, a platform dedicated to raising awareness and connecting with communities nationwide. I’ve had the privilege of speaking at schools, nonprofits, and organizations, using my experiences to empower and educate.

When I’m not advocating or speaking, you'll probably find me at the beach with friends, hunting down the next BEST iced vanilla latte, discovering new songs to run to, or thinking about my adorable Portuguese Water Dog, Jersey. I’m always up for an adventure and rarely say no—like the time my Hard-of-Hearing best friend and I went skydiving on New Year’s Eve 2022 (without telling our parents…sorry, mama sully!). Don’t worry, we took out our hearing aids and CIs first—and yes, it was TOTALLY worth it!;)

Track & Field Career Highlights:

High School:

2019 4x800m Illinois state champion
Four-time All-State runner
Won seven medals at the Illinois High School State Meet

University of Southern California:

Competed in cross country, the 800m, the 1500m, DMR and the 4x400m relays
Broke the USC indoor 800m and DMR school records (2024)
Ranked #8 on the USC all-time list for the outdoor 800m (2024)
USTFCCCA 2024 All-Academic Team

Boston College:

Ranked in the top 10 all-time list for the 800m indoor and outdoor
Competed in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, Distance Medley Relay (DMR), and 4x400m relay
Six-time recipient of All-ACC Academic Honors for indoor/outdoor track
Named to the USTFCCCA 2021 All-Academic Team (Top 98 in the country, GPA 3.25+)
Set the BC indoor DMR school record at the ACC Indoor Championships (2022)
Set BC outdoor DMR and 4x400m school records (2023, at UPenn Relays and ACC Outdoor Championships)

*A person with a cochlear implant generally cannot have an MRI without taking special precautions because the implant contains a magnet that can be affected by the strong magnetic field of an MRI machine

MR Conditional: Most modern CIs are considered "MR Conditional," meaning an MRI can be performed under specific conditions, often requiring the removal of the external sound processor & sometimes the internal magnet depending on the implant design