An Olympic hopeful has become the staff pin-up at a Clapham-based company, after its management secured a sponsorship deal with the diver from south London.

P C Werth Ltd, the UK distribution company for the Danish hearing aid firm Widex, approached champion Tony Ally, 30, after they discovered that he used their digital Senso Diva hearing aids.

Mr Ally, who grew up in Catford, was diagnosed with hearing impairments in both ears when he was a child. He now lives and trains in Sheffield, and will be taking part in his third Olympic Games this year.

He won two silver medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and gold for a 3m springboard event at the 1999 European Championships.

He said: "This sponsorship will help me train full-time, as all professional athletes need to do. It will also raise my profile, and that of my sport, and help me to support my family."

P C Werth, based in Nightingale Lane since 1980, is delighted to be sponsoring the sportsman, who has become an ambassador for the company.

Marketing manager Stuart Russell said: "One of the important things for us was to debunk the myth that surrounds hearing loss. You can develop a hearing problem at any age.

"Tony is a great example on how having hearing aids fitted does not affect what you can achieve in life.

"We thought he would be a great spokesman and ambassador."

Mr Russell and P C Werth also wanted to dispel the image of hearing aids as large, visible pieces of equipment.

He added: "There is a perception that a hearing aid looks like something from the 1950s."

This is something Mr Ally also acknowledges. He said: "My Senso Diva hearing aids have changed my life.

"I was diagnosed with a hearing disorder when I was a kid, but because I didn't want to wear those large, ugly aids, I refused to do anything about it. My aids are so small most people don't even notice them."

The company informed staff about the sponsorship and placed pictures of the diver on notice boards around the building.

Mr Russell added: "We are keeping our fingers crossed for him at the games and wish him every success."

A series of joint events are due to be set up once Mr Ally returns from Athens, and the firm plans to sponsor his swimwear and entry to other competitions in the future.