A new book detailing the journey of Welsh teenage racing driver Caleb McDuff is set to be released later this month.
Caleb, 17, from Pontypool, a former Cwmbran High School pupil, is the UK’s only deaf racing driver competing professionally.
Diagnosed as profoundly deaf at the age of two, he communicates using lip-reading and cochlear implant technology.
Despite the challenges, he has built a career in motorsport that began with karting and now sees him racing a McLaren GT4 with Team BRIT, the world’s first competitive motor racing team made up entirely of disabled drivers.
‘Breaking the sound barrier’
The book, Breaking the Sound Barrier: The Caleb McDuff Story, charts his journey from early setbacks to podium success, offering a first-hand account of what it takes to overcome barriers in one of the most communication-intensive sports.
Caleb said: “I’ve been behind the wheel since I was four years old, but people always told me racing at such a high level wasn’t possible because I’m deaf. This book is about proving that wrong, and I hope it shows other deaf children, and their families, that anything is possible if you don’t give up.”
The book is written by Caleb’s father, Ian McDuff, who said: “This project started off as my own personal notes written over the years, just to remind me in later life of some of the stories that made Caleb’s journey so remarkable. Friends and family encouraged me that it was time to share these experiences more widely, to tell Caleb’s story.”
Breaking the Sound Barrier will be published in paperback on 30 September, with a special collector’s edition also planned. Pre-orders are available via Caleb’s official website, www.calebmcduff.co.uk