A track for success as Derbyshire pupil’s helmet design comes to life
“Being deaf is part of who you are – but it does not define what you can achieve.”
A deaf racing driver has proved to pupils that dreams really can become reality after turning a pupil’s winning design into a real-life racing helmet.
Caleb McDuff, who is recognised as the fastest deaf racing driver in the country, visited the Royal School for the Deaf in Derby, as part of its annual open day earlier this year to share his journey into motorsport and deliver a powerful message about resilience.
It was then he told pupils: “Being deaf is part of who you are – but it does not define what you can achieve.”
In the lead-up to the event, pupils took part in a creative competition to design a personalised racing helmet for Caleb, with Umi’s winning creation presented to him in a frame during the ceremony.
Caleb was so moved by the gesture that he decided to take one of the helmets he had worn during championship race wins to X-Paint, a custom helmet design company in Surrey and asked them to bring Umi’s creation to life.
He later surprised pupils by returning to the school with the finished helmet, which he presented as a thank you to Umi and the school.
Umi said: “I am so proud that my design is the winner and that everybody will get to see it displayed in the school.
“I like really bright colours so I made sure there were lots of bright colours – blue is the main colour as it’s my favourite.
“Meeting Caleb, hearing his story and then going on to win the competition has show me that being deaf shouldn’t hold you back.
“I have never won a competition before and now I feel I can achieve anything.”
Caleb competes at a competitive level in karting and circuit racing, continuing to develop his career through national and international events. Through consistent progression in a demanding sport, he is establishing himself within motorsport while helping to challenge perceptions about deafness in racing.
Caleb said: “I was so blown away by the design at the open day, I knew that I wanted to do something in return and do something really special with it.
“I wanted the helmet to be a reminder of my message to the students at The Royal School for the Deaf and the next generation of children – if you can imagine something, you can make it come true.
“It was such an incredible moment when I showed up at the school, surprised them with the designed helmet, and saw their reactions.
“I hope every child who sees that helmet or hears this story remembers that their ideas matter, that their creativity has value and that no dream is too big if you are prepared to believe in yourself.
During the school’s annual open day, which celebrates achievements across the school community and brings families together for activities, performances and recognition, Caleb spoke to pupils about the determination needed to compete in the demanding and highly competitive world of motorsport.
He said: “It’s an honour to be here and share my story. If there’s one message I want pupils to take away, it’s that being deaf is part of who you are – but it should never define what you can achieve.
“In racing, things go wrong all the time. What matters is how you respond. I just kept showing up, kept learning and kept pushing forward.
The helmet will be displayed at RSDD for all students to see, serving as a reminder that with belief, determination and support, dreams can become a reality.
Head teacher Paul Burrows said: “It has been wonderful to see Umi’s design brought to life in such a special way. Caleb is a fantastic role model for our pupils and shows them that being deaf should never be a barrier to following their ambitions.
“The helmet will be a lasting reminder to our pupils to believe in themselves, their ideas and what they can achieve.”