Jodie Ounsley

Jodie Ounsley is a professional rugby player, former international sprinter and television personality best known for starring as ‘Fury’ in the BBC One reboot of Gladiators. A trailblazing deaf athlete, Jodie has consistently broken barriers across multiple sports while championing accessibility and representation. She is widely hired as a speaker for her powerful insights into resilience, inclusion and high performance, drawing on her lived experience as a profoundly deaf competitor thriving at elite level.

Jodie began her sporting journey in rugby after joining the Sale Sharks Academy in 2009. Her talent quickly became evident, and in 2011 she competed in her first international match for England Deaf Rugby. Alongside rugby, she excelled in athletics, winning gold in the 100 metres at the European Deaf Athletics Championships and later representing Great Britain as a sprinter at the Deaflympics. Her versatility extended further when she competed nationally in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2016, she was part of the England squad that won the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship, cementing her reputation as one of the country’s most accomplished deaf athletes.

Her career continued to progress as she was named Young Deaf Sports Personality of the Year and later became the first deaf female to play for a senior England rugby side when she featured for Exeter Chiefs Women. Competing in the Premier 15s with Exeter Chiefs, Jodie demonstrated that deaf athletes can succeed at the highest levels of professional sport. In 2024, she reached an even broader audience when she was cast as Fury in the BBC One reboot of Gladiators, becoming a visible role model for young deaf people across the UK.

Jodie is hired as a speaker because she brings authenticity, determination and energy to conversations about inclusion and overcoming adversity. She speaks candidly about navigating elite sport with profound hearing loss, challenging misconceptions and building confidence through adversity. Her story resonates with corporate, education and sporting audiences alike, inspiring individuals and organisations to remove barriers and create environments where difference is recognised as strength.