When Grayslake’s Julie Quandt forgot her headphones during this year’s Boston Marathon, she actually was excited to enjoy the sounds of the crowds, something she wasn’t able to enjoy until recently.
Nearly a decade ago, Quandt noticed it was harder to hear her husband speak in a normal volume, and after getting it checked out, her doctor told her she needed hearing aids.
Quandt with her new Beltone Trust hearing aids.
Now, at 53, Quandt has been on Beltone hearing aids for two years, and just upgraded to its new sweat protection aids, Beltone Trust, she can wear while running.
“It reminds me of when I first got my hearing aids; I found that first week I started hearing all these sounds, and I had to turn it down because I would hear little sounds like keys jingling,” she says. “Now when I’m running, I can hear background noises so much more clearly, such as a train in the distance.”
Despite never having ran a marathon without headphones, Quandt decided to leave them with her husband when he offered them to her at mile 10. The crowds and encouragement was not only a new experience for her, but it fueled her motivation. However, she didn’t always embrace those noises.
“I ran the Cary March Madness Half Marathon as a warmup to Boston, and I noticed myself double taking because I was almost annoyed as I heard people’s conversations,” Quandt adds. “I realized it’s because I’m not used to that.”
After some adjustments and practice, Quandt’s mind has started filtering out different sounds and it feels comfortable and normal to her.
Whether she’s running two or 20 miles, Quandt now feels she is soaking up the complete benefits of running. In fact, she admits she finds herself turning off her music more often so she can hear her surroundings.
“I hear the birds, the trees, and it makes a huge difference,” she says. “Once I heard the call of a Sandhill Crane, which reminded me of my mom who used to work at the Morton Arboretum. I wouldn’t have heard that without the aids.”
In addition to obtaining that “complete, full” feeling from her runs, Quandt feels safer and more confident, especially when running in wildlife.
“Even if I use the Bluetooth to my hearing aids for music, I hear cars over the music and I’m overall more aware of my surroundings,” she says. “It wasn’t the original need for these aids, but it’s definitely a safety factor.”
Working in data security, Quandt travels a lot, which means she often runs in unfamiliar areas. Especially for when she’s running in noisy places, such as New York, its crucial for her to be able to hear her surroundings at all times.
Quandt also enjoys the ability to talk with neighbors or other runners while out on the trail, which before Beltone, she wouldn’t have even heard them talking to her.
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 48 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss, and those with hearing loss go an average of seven years before they decide to invest in aids. However, with the features Beltone offers, managing hearing health is easier than ever.
Aside from the convenient Bluetooth capabilities, Beltone Trust’s sound clarity is remarkable; studies show that Beltone Trust is up to 50 percent better at identifying speech across various environments, and patients can hear up to 80 percent more of their surroundings.
Beltone Trust also offers a Remote Assistance feature that allows the user to simply send a message to their hearing care professional to make adjustments remotely. Beltone can also send packages to the patient so they can make their own adjustments.
“Because I travel a lot for work, it’s pretty critical,” Quandt says. “If I were to go in for an adjustment, and then got to Thailand and realize it wasn’t right, I’d be struggling. But knowing I’m not stuck for the week is really comforting.”
The Beltone Trust is also the smallest, most discrete model of hearing aids yet, and they continue to inch towards a natural hearing experience. Anyone with Beltone aids receives a lifetime of free coverage to cleanings and adjustments.
“The fact that I can feel safe, communicate and get the full experience of running with Beltone Trust makes it so worth it,” Quandt says.
