Raised in Australia and homeschooled by his British mother, his raw sporting talent saw him selected for his native country at the Deaflympics at the age of just 13.
Fast forward a few years and Hughes now finds himself far from the coastal city of Sydney, with England’s Loughborough now his home.
“I swam for Australia growing up because my family was there. Because I was a home schooler and my mother was British, I was always raised in British culture in Sydney. It was always my love to represent Great Britain,” Hughes told Loughborough Sport.
“I came to Loughborough as 19-year-old all by myself to a small town in England from Sydney – it was really the other side of the world. That was the kind of levels I had to take to show people I could do it.”
Diagnosed as deaf at two, the stigma he faced growing up inspired him to become a passionate advocate for deaf rights. Now, on the eve of the latest Deaflympics in Tokyo, Henry has successfully switched allegiance to Britain.
“Going to the Deaflympics in Japan in November is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I always knew that I wanted to represent Great Britain.”
The Deaflympics are steeped in heritage and prestige and is the second-oldest multi-sport event in the world. Sitting apart from the Paralympics, as Henry explains: “People think that deaf people swim in the Paralympics, but that’s not true – it’s only if you have another disability that is considered a Paralympic classification disability.
“At the back of me there’s posters and banners of Olympians and Paralympians. Maybe one day a Deaflympian will go up there to show the public that this is what Britain and Loughborough University are supporting.”
Henry also hopes that his advocacy work can continue to inspire the next generation of deaf athletes: “I hope I can play that role in making sure young deaf athletes coming through see that I came to Loughborough University, one of the most prestigious sporting universities in the world, so they can as well.”
Other Loughborough University athletes competing at the games include Charlie Denton (tennis) and Evie Smith (athletics).
The 2025 Deaflympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan from 15 - 26 November.
