Diagnosed at birth with strabismus, England and Chelsea football clubs’ goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was once advised she might not compete in elite-level sport.
Her career would not have been possible without eyecare and multiple surgeries before the age of three, Hampton said on the Chelsea FC website. “When I look at the career I enjoy today, I know it wouldn’t have been possible without eyecare when I was young,” she said. “Millions of people around the world live with sight conditions. I was one of the lucky ones who could get care.”
During a medical check-up at Stoke City when Hampton was 12, doctors diagnosed impaired depth perception, reported The Guardian. It was during her time there that Hampton stopped playing as a striker to don the goalie gloves. “Football was what made me the happiest,” she said. “I just had to train differently and adapt to the challenges of my vision condition.”
After numerous bloody noses and broken fingers from stopping the ball too close to her face, or having her hands in the wrong position, Hampton consciously altered her hand position, The Guardian reported. Now 25 years old, Hampton played a vital role in England’s Euro 2025 final win over Spain, saving two penalties and earning praise for her confident handling, fast reactions and commanding presence in the box.
To mark 2025’s World Sight Day, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, presented Hampton with a Love Your Eyes special recognition award. The award acknowledged her efforts to raise awareness, challenge stigma and inspire others with her eye health story.
