Famous personalities with opfr. People with disabilities who have achieved success (photo)

It's no secret to anyone that modern world there is a certain "standard of beauty". And if you want to succeed, to become famous, please live up to that standard. However, it is very pleasant that from time to time there are people who send all these standards and conventions to hell and just go to their goal no matter what. Such people deserve respect.

Winnie Harlow

A professional model from Canada who suffers from vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder associated with a lack of melanin. This disease is expressed practically only in the external effect and is almost not treated. Since childhood, Winnie dreamed of becoming a model and stubbornly walked towards her goal. As a result, she became the first girl in a serious modeling business with such a disease.

Peter Dinklage

He is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Dinklage was born hereditary disease- achondroplasia leading to dwarfism. His height is 134 cm. Despite the fact that both of his parents are of average height, as well as his brother Jonathan.

RJ Mitt

He is best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the television series Breaking Bad. Like his character in Breaking Bad, Mitt suffers from cerebral palsy. Due to cerebral palsy, signals reach the brain more slowly, since at birth his brain was damaged as a result of a lack of oxygen. As a result, his musculoskeletal system and ability to control his muscles were impaired. For example, the hand twitches uncontrollably. However, this does not in the least prevent the 23-year-old guy from acting in films and producing films.

Henry Samuel

Better known under the alias of Seal. British singer-songwriter, winner of three Grammy music awards and several Brit Awards. The scars on his face are the result skin disease known as discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). He suffered this disease as a teenager and suffered greatly because of the scars that appeared on his face. Now the singer is sure that they give him a certain charm.

Forest Whitaker

American actor, director, producer. Winner of Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy awards. He became the fourth African American to win an Oscar for Best male role. Forest suffers from ptosis of the left eye - congenital disease oculomotor nerve. However, many critics and viewers often note that this gives it a certain mystery and charm. At the same time, the actor himself is considering the possibility of corrective surgery. True, according to his statement, the purpose of the operation is not at all cosmetic, but purely medical - ptosis worsens the field of vision and contributes to the degradation of vision itself.

Jamel Debbouz

French actor, producer, showman of Moroccan origin. In January 1990 (that is, at the age of 14), Jamel injured his hand while playing on the train tracks in the Paris Metro. As a result, the hand has ceased to develop, and he cannot use it. Since then, he almost always keeps his right hand in his pocket. However, this does not in the least prevent him from remaining one of the most sought-after actors in France to this day.

Donald Joseph Qualls

Better known as DJ Qualls, is an American actor and producer. Qualls' most popular role is considered the main role in Edward Decter's Tough Guy. Many who see him in the movies cannot fail to note the unusual thinness of Qualls. The reason for this is cancer. At the age of 14, Qualls was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphogranulomatosis ( malignant neoplasm lymphoid tissue). The treatment turned out to be quite successful, and after two years of fighting the disease, a remission ensued. This episode in his life was the beginning of DJ's activities to support the foundation, which is engaged in the fight against this disease.

Zinovy ​​Gerdt

Magnificent Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, People's Artist of the USSR. In addition to his acting career, Zinovy ​​Efimovich, like many in those days, had to engage in other, not so peaceful activities, he is a participant in the Great Patriotic War. February 12, 1943, on the outskirts of Kharkov, when clearing minefields of the enemy for the passage Soviet tanks, he was seriously wounded in the leg by a fragment of a tank shell. After eleven operations, Gerdt retained the injured leg, which has since been 8 centimeters shorter than the healthy one and forced the artist to limp heavily. Even just walking was difficult for him, but the actor did not give up and did not spare himself on the set.

Sylvester Stallone

A vivid example of the fact that any disadvantage, if desired, can be made into a virtue. At the birth of Sylvester, doctors, using obstetric forceps, injured him, damaging facial nerves. As a result - partial paralysis lower left side of the face and slurred speech. It would seem that you can forget about an acting career with such problems. However, Sly still managed to break through, choosing the role of a brutal guy who does not need to talk much in the frame, his muscles will say everything for him.

Do you have a disability or serious illness? You are not alone. Many people with handicapped contributed to the life of society. Among them are actors, actresses, celebrities, singers, politicians and many other famous people. There are, of course, millions of unknown people who live, fight and overcome their disease every day. Here is some list of famous disabled people to prove that it is possible to overcome the so-called disability barrier. Vanga(Vangelia Pandeva Gushterova, nee Dimitrova; January 31, 1911, Strumitsa, Ottoman Empire - August 11, 1996 Petrich, Bulgaria) - Bulgarian clairvoyant. Born in Ottoman Empire in the family of a poor Bulgarian peasant. At the age of 12, Vanga lost her sight due to a hurricane, during which a whirlwind threw her hundreds of meters away. She was found only in the evening with her eyes clogged with sand. Her family was unable to provide treatment, and as a result, Vanga became blind. Franklin Delano Roosevelt 32nd President of the United States (1933–1945) (succumbed to polio in 1921). Kutuzov(Golenishchev-Kutuzov) Mikhail Illarionovich (1745–1813) Most Serene Prince Smolensky(1812), Russian commander, Field Marshal General (1812) (blindness of one eye). Composer Ludwig van Beethoven(he lost his hearing with age). Musician Stevie Wonder(blindness). Sarah Bernard, actress (lost her leg as a result of an injury in a fall). Marley Matlin, (deafness). Christopher Reeve, an American actor who played the role of Superman, was paralyzed after falling from a horse. Ivan IV Vasilyevich(Grozny) (Russian Tsar) - epilepsy, severe paranoia Peter I Aleseevich Romanov(Russian Tsar, later Russian Emperor) - epilepsy, chronic alcoholism I.V. Dzhugashvili(Stalin) (generalissimo, second head of the USSR) - partial paralysis of the upper limbs Cerebral paralysis Cerebral paralysis- this term refers to a group of non-progressive non-communicable diseases associated with damage to areas of the brain, most often causing movement disorders. Celebrities with CPU Jeri Jewell(09/13/1956) - comedian. She made her debut in the TV show "Life Facts". Jeri shows from personal experience that the behavior and actions of cirrhotic patients are often misunderstood. Jerry is called a pioneer among disabled comedians. Anna McDonald is an Australian writer and disability rights activist. Her illness developed as a result of a birth trauma. She was diagnosed with an intellectual disability, and at the age of three, her parents placed her in the Melbourne Hospital for the Seriously Disabled, where she spent 11 years without education and treatment. In 1980, in collaboration with Rosemary Crossley, she wrote the story of her life, "Anna's Exit", subsequently filmed. Christy Brown(06/05/1932 - 09/06/1981) - Irish author, artist and poet. A film was made about his life. left leg". For years, Christy Brown was unable to walk or speak on his own. Doctors considered him mentally handicapped. However, his mother continued to talk to him, develop him and tried to teach him. At the age of five, he took a piece of chalk from his sister with his left foot - the only limb that obeys him - and began to draw on the floor. His mother taught him the alphabet, and he diligently copied each letter, holding the chalk between his toes. He eventually learned to speak and read. Chris Foncheska- comedian. He worked at the American Comedy Club and wrote material for comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Roseanne Arnold. Chris Foncheska is the first (and only) person with a clear disability to work on Late Night with David Letterman in the show's 18-year history. Many stories of Chris are devoted to his illness. He notes that this helps break down many preconceived barriers about cerebral palsy. Chris Nolan- Irish author. He was educated in Dublin. He acquired cerebral palsy as a result of a two-hour oxygen starvation after birth. His mother believed that he understood everything, and continued to teach him at home. Eventually, a drug was discovered that allowed him to move one muscle in his neck. Thanks to this, Chris was able to learn how to type. Nolan never said a word in his life, but his poetry has been compared to Joyce, Keats and Yeats. He published his first collection of poems at the age of fifteen. Stephen Hawking world renowned physicist. He defied time and doctors' claims that he would not live two years after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Charcot's disease. Hawking cannot walk, speak, swallow, has difficulty in raising his head, he has difficulty breathing. Hawking, 51, was told of the illness 30 years ago when he was an unknown college student. Miguel Cervantes(1547 - 1616) - Spanish writer. Cervantes is best known as the author of one of the greatest works of world literature - the novel The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha. In 1571, Cervantes, being in military service in the navy, took part in the battle of Lepanto, where he was seriously wounded by a shot from an arc:) zy, due to which he lost his left arm. Pavel Luspekaev, actor (Vereshchagin from "The White Sun of the Desert") - Amputated feet. Grigory Zhuravlev, the artist - from birth was without arms and legs. He painted with a brush in his mouth. Admiral Nelson- without hands and eyes. Homer(blindness) ancient Greek poet, author of the Odyssey Franklin Roosevelt(polio) 32nd President of the United States Ludwig Beethoven(deafness with age) great German composer Stevie Wonder(blindness) American musician Marlin Matlin(deafness) American actress. She became the first and only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best female role in "Children of a Lesser God" Christopher Reeve(paralysis) American actor Grigory Zhuravlev(lack of legs and arms) Russian artist (more) Elena Keller(deaf-blind) American writer, teacher Maresyev Alexey(leg amputation) ace pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Oscar Pistorius(legless) athlete Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya- Russian Georgian singer. Member of the SPS. Valentin Ivanovich Dikul. In 1962, Valentin Dikul fell from high altitude while performing a trick in the circus. The doctors' verdict was ruthless: Compression fracture spine in the lumbar region and traumatic brain injury. . One of the main achievements of Dikul was his own method of rehabilitation, protected by copyright certificates and patents. In 1988, the " Russian center rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries and consequences of childhood cerebral palsy» - the center of Dikul. In subsequent years, 3 more V.I. Dikul centers were opened in Moscow alone. Then under scientific leadership Valentin Ivanovich, a number of rehabilitation clinics appeared throughout Russia, in Israel, Germany, Poland, America, etc. Honored Master of Sports, athlete of the Omsk Paralympic Training Center Elena Chistilina. She won a silver medal at the XIII Paralympic Games in Beijing and two bronze medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, and repeatedly won Russian championships. In 2006, by the Decree of the President of Russia, the athlete was awarded the medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree. Taras Kryzhanovsky(1981). He was born without two feet. Honored Master of Sports in cross-country skiing among the disabled, champion and prize-winner of the IX Paralympic Games in Turin (nomination "For outstanding achievements in sports"). Andrea Bocelli. Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lajatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he has become one of the most memorable voices in modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads. He has recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Razazzotti and El Jarre. The latter, who sang "The Night Of Proms" with him in November 1995, said of Bocelli: "I had the honor of singing with the most beautiful voice in the world"... Stephen William Hawking(Eng. Stephen William Hawking, born January 8, 1942, Oxford, UK) is one of the most influential theoretical physicists of our time in the scientific sense and known to the general public. Hawking's main area of ​​research is cosmology and quantum gravity. For three decades now, the scientist has been suffering incurable disease - multiple sclerosis. This is a disease in which motor neurons gradually die and the person becomes more and more helpless ... After a throat operation in 1985, he lost the ability to speak. Friends gave him a speech synthesizer that was installed on his wheelchair and with which Hawking can communicate with others. Married twice, three children, grandchildren. Daniela Rozzek- "wheelchair", paralympic woman of Germany - fencing. In addition to playing sports, she studies at a design school and works in a center for helping the elderly. Raising a daughter. Together with other German Paralympians, she starred for an erotic calendar. Zhadovskaya Yulia Valerianovna- July 11, 1824 - August 8, 1883, poetess, prose writer. She was born with a physical handicap - without a hand of one hand. Was very interesting talented person, communicated with a large circle talented people of his era. Sarah Bernard- March 24, 1824 - March 26, 1923, actress ("divine Sarah"). Many prominent theater figures, such as K. S. Stanislavsky, considered the art of Bernard a model of technical perfection. However, virtuoso skill, sophisticated technique, artistic taste were combined in Bernard with deliberate showiness, some artificiality of the game. In 1905, while on tour in Rio de Janeiro, the actress injured her right leg, and in 1915 her leg had to be amputated. Nevertheless, Bernard did not leave the stage. During World War I, Bernard served at the front. In 1914 she was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. Stevie Wonder- May 13, 1950 American soul singer, songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is called the greatest musician of our time, achieved impressive success in the musical field, being blind from birth, received the Grammy Award 22 times, Wonder's name is immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Composers Hall of Fame.

List of the most famous people with disabilities with various disabilities and conditions, including actors, politicians with disabilities, writers and scientists with increased needs and incredible abilities, who have made a great contribution to the development and life of society.

Some people need to belong to someone to succeed. And some, in order to belong to someone, you have to succeed.

Have an injury or complex medical problem? This is not a single one, but mass case There are a lot of people with disabilities in our society. And they made a huge breakthrough in all areas social life. After all, people with physical disabilities can be found among the stars of show business, and among singers, world leaders, outstanding philosophers and great scientists, actors and actresses.

Disability- this is the most general term that refers to personal dysfunctions, and physical disabilities, and defects associated with sensory abilities (muteness, deafness, blindness), and cognitive, cognitive, intellectual impairment, mental illness, as well as different kind severe chronic diseases.

Of course, there are millions of unpopular and unfamous disabled people in the world, articles and books are not written about them, but they live every day in struggle, overcome their limitations every day, overcome themselves . They are inglorious heroes who perform feats constantly, throughout their lives.

After all, for a person with disabilities to achieve the same as an ordinary healthy man, he needs to make several times or even several tens of times more effort. And this is the secret of the success of people with an unusual fate - they use 100% of all the opportunities available to them, while a common person does not use even a tenth of his own.

In the list of the greatest people in the world below you will find names and photos, short biographies men and women with disabilities of various kinds. These people simply cannot be called disabled, mutilated, wretched or crippled, crippled or pitiful, poor or in need of help - these are absolutely self-sufficient individuals, whose spirit is many times stronger than their body.

They inspire! After all, if they could, then each of us can!

	Mathematician and physicist, having great difficulties with cognitive processes (training, knowledge of the world was difficult). He did not speak until the age of 3. Difficulty in math school years, and also with great effort mastered the written language.
	Difficulties with cognitive abilities. Invented the telephone.
	Nothing is impossible. The most famous "crippled" in the history of SMS, who was seriously injured as a result of an injury due to unsuccessful riding and devoted his whole life to medical research with the goal of getting back on your feet and riding a horse. Virtual acquaintance with a disabled girl on the Internet. How to be?? The difficulties of life that the rich and famous have overcome
	The most famous dog breeder in the UK. He occupies powerful political posts. Joined the Labor Party at 16 and was elected to a significant elective office in Sheffield at 22. An example for many.
	Thomas Edison A great inventor who during his life came up with more than 1000 inventions that each of us uses in our daily lives. In their early years he was considered underdeveloped because he could not read until the age of 12. Later, the guy admits that he became deaf after putting children's toy trains in his ears. Initially, he attracted the attention of the whole world by inventing the phonograph, and then the electric light bulb. By the way, to invent it, Thomas needed to make more than 10,000 attempts, which he treated not as 10,000 mistakes, but as 10,000 opportunities that bring him closer to the goal. The telegraph is also his invention. And then he became a successful businessman, a successful businessman.
	Franklin Delano Roosevelt He was sick with polio, but, nevertheless, he first became the ruler of New York, and then he was generally elected President of the United States! Moreover, he served as President of the United States of America for as many as 4 terms, i.e. an unprecedented number of times.
	Problems with cognitive abilities. I barely wrote, I never mastered the grammar. President of the U.S.A.
	The courtier of the world famous Spanish writer, who became deaf at the age of 46. The brightest representative art Spain of the 19th century.
	This woman devoted her whole life to the disabled. She has been blind, deaf and dumb since birth. And at the same time full of joy and love of life. Author, political activist, lecturer. The first deaf-mute person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Fighter for the rights of the disabled.
	Motor disability, difficulty with movement due to polio. A singer, he wrote a number of hits in the 1978-1980s, some of which were banned from rotation due to the ambiguity of the lyrics.
	English poet and author of the 17th century. Blinded at the age of 43, he wrote the work Paradise Lost.
	"Crazy, dashing and dangerous" - an English poet studied at school with a clubfoot. He walked with great difficulty, but at the same time he traveled all over Europe. Byron's poetry is a reflection of his selfishness and satirical realism. In our time, he would be the leader of some newfangled, revolutionary trends.
	The great British commander and hero of the English fleet. Won a number of battles, incl. at Trafalgar and the Nile. Nelson won his biggest victories already with a disability - having lost his right eye, and later he lost his right elbow in battle, as a result of which the entire arm was amputated.
	Popular in his time, the musician, the greatest German composer, was deaf for the last third of his life. Pianist and author of a number of famous musical works.
	Stand-up comedian and actress, girl-comedian. Received a US Academy Award. Deaf due to rubella, however, the deafness did not hinder her career.
	A female runner won 4 gold medals, as well as a silver and an athlete, shot putter, participant in the Paralympic Games in Atlanta. Blind. Stargradt's disease (degeneration yellow spot). For her, there is no concept of "finish".
	Hollywood star diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD). He likes to act in films with a medical bias.
	French actress with a severe knee injury. In 1914, her leg was amputated, but she continued to act in films until her death. She was considered the greatest actress and was called the magnificent, inimitable Sarah.
	World-class physicist and mathematician, considered the second most important scientist of the 20th century after Einstein. He owns the theory big bang and a black hole. Paralyzed almost completely, carries out scientific activities through a computer that voices his words. He is alive and continues his research, visited space, starred in a number of scientific programs and serials, films.
	Sudha Chandran Indian actress and dancer. So you can’t say for this beauty that she is legless - she doesn’t have a leg, she was amputated as a result of a car accident. Filmed in a number of films, takes an active part in dance shows.
	Wheelchair athlete, participant of the Paralympic Games. She won 14 Paralympic medals - 9 of them gold. Broke over 20 world records. Competed in 5 London Marathons. She made herself a TV presenter, including broadcasting on the BBC, and also led a column in Edge magazine for the disabled.
	Tom Cruise- Hollywood star, dyslexic. Walt Disney- limited cognitive abilities. Woodrow Wilson- cognitive difficulties, dyslexia.
	type of disability - mental, mental illness. He is one of the most expensive artists in the world. He made a huge contribution to contemporary art. Created about 2000 paintings and drawings.
	A Mexican artist with polio became famous all over the world. Her right leg was thinner than her left, a flaw she successfully hides with the help of long skirts. There is an assumption that she had a spinal injury.
	Irish artist, writer and poet, suffering from severe cerebral palsy. In his family, 22 children were born to his parents, and only 13 survived. For many years he did not speak or move. Doctors considered him mentally handicapped. His left leg did not move for the first time until he was 5 years old. He wrote books with humor and used symbols in a special way, created his own understanding of the language.
	Laureate Nobel Prize, American mathematician, innovator in the field of game theory, differential equations and geometry. Most He lived his life with a diagnosis of paranoia and schizophrenia. Based on his biography, a film was made with Russell Crowe in the title role.
	Renowned French journalist and editor fashion magazine ELLE. He suffered a stroke, was in a coma for 20 days and was completely paralyzed, and the body was completely paralyzed - from the top of his head to the heels, although the spirit remained completely healthy, conscious.

Marcus Aurelius said: “If something is beyond your power, then do not decide yet that it is generally impossible for a person. But if something is possible for a person and is characteristic of him, then consider that it is also available to you.

It takes courage and willpower from any person to succeed. But everything is complicated hundreds, thousands of times when a person has some kind of physical handicap. The stories of these people are a living illustration of the fact that the most terrible circumstances cannot interfere if there is strength of mind.

Stephen Hawking.

Quote: If you don't give up, it matters.

Stephen Hawking is one of the most influential and well-known theoretical physicists, popularizer of science. Until the age of 18, Hawking was healthy and did not complain about anything, but during his college years, he was diagnosed with signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. it incurable disease central nervous system which leads to paralysis and muscle atrophy. Doctors predicted the young man that he had no more than 2-3 years to live, but their predictions did not come true. Despite the fact that Hawking was confined to a wheelchair, he continued his scientific activities, taught at the University of Cambridge, became a member of the Royal Society of London, published scientific work and received many awards.

In 1985, Hawking underwent several operations, after which he lost the ability to speak and was almost completely paralyzed. retained some mobility forefinger right hand. Then fellow engineers from the University of Cambridge developed a speech synthesizer specifically for him, which allowed the professor to continue working and communicating with others. AT this moment in Hawking, only the muscle retains mobility right cheek- a computer sensor is attached to it, which reproduces the speech of the professor.

Despite his disability, Hawking has been married twice and has three children from his first marriage, and in 2007 even flew in zero gravity.

Helen Keller- deafness.

Quote: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, they cannot even be touched. They must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880. She was ordinary healthy child before suffering from an inflammatory brain disease (presumably scarlet fever) at the age of 19 months. The girl survived, but completely lost her sight and hearing. In those days, the education and socialization of such children was an almost impossible task, and Helen was doomed to a semi-wild existence. But she was lucky - a teacher Ann Sullivan was sent from the school for the blind. This woman, who herself had weak eyesight and subsequently went blind, created a real miracle - Helen learned to read, write, speak and understand the speech of other people. This experience was a real breakthrough in pedagogy, on the basis of which a methodology for teaching deaf-blind children was drawn up.

Despite her handicap, Helen was a very cheerful and purposeful girl. In addition, she was very gifted. She graduated with honors from college, has written many articles, essays and art books, lectured, fought for the rights of the disabled. Helen Keller became a national hero, a symbol of resilience and fortitude, a living example of what can be lived full life even with such a terrible disease.

John Forbes Nash- paranoid schizophrenia

Quote: I think my main scientific achievement is that I have been doing things that really interest me all my life, and I have not spent a single day doing all sorts of nonsense.

Nothing foreshadowed trouble. John Nash was a talented, promising mathematician. He published several groundbreaking papers, formulated the famous game theory, and became known as America's rising star in the "new mathematics".

Around the age of 30, people around him began to notice the inadequacy in his behavior. He began to hallucinate, paranoid fears (for example, all people in red ties seemed to him to be participants in a communist conspiracy), at lectures he could suddenly begin to carry complete nonsense. In 1959, Nash was forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital. Over the next 10 years, they tried to treat him for schizophrenia, he was treated several times in clinics, but the therapy was powerless. In the end, the patient refused to take the medicines because he believed that they were injurious to his mental performance.

Improvement came only in the 1980s, when, by Nash's own admission, he decided not to fight the disease, but to rationalize it. In the film A Beautiful Mind (2001), based on his life, there is such a scene: the scientist realizes that the girl who constantly appears to him does not grow up, which means that she cannot be real.
Despite his illness, John Nash made an invaluable contribution to mathematics. For his work, he was awarded the Nobel and Abel Prizes and became the first person in the world to receive both of these awards.

Frida Kahlo– poliomyelitis

Quote: There is nothing more precious than laughter, with its help you can break away from yourself, become weightless.

A brilliant Mexican artist whose paintings are exhibited in major museums around the world and sold at Sotheby's for millions of dollars. At the age of 6, Frida suffered from polio, as a result of which she remained lame, and one leg became thinner than the other. At the age of 18, a new misfortune happened to her - she got into a car accident, in which she received a triple fracture of the spine, a fracture of the collarbone, pelvis, ribs, multiple fractures right leg, crushed foot and serious damage to the organs of the peritoneum.

Saying goodbye to health, Frida did not say goodbye to an active life. She became one of the most prominent artists of the 20th century, was married, traveled, organized exhibitions.

Stevie Wonder– blindness

Quote: If a person is blind, this does not mean that he does not have vision.

American singer, composer, music producer, who largely determined the development of rhythm and blues and soul styles in the middle of the 20th century. Due to a medical error, he developed blindness from birth. The musically gifted boy was noticed already at the age of 9, and at 11 Wonder released his first record. His contribution to the development of music is difficult to overestimate. Stevie Wonder is one of the most successful musicians of our time, a 25-time Grammy Award winner and the only musician in the world to win Album of the Year three times in a row.

Christy Brown- cerebral paralysis.

From birth, the boy suffered from a severe form of cerebral palsy. All his limbs were paralyzed, only his left leg could be controlled - and Christy Brown took full advantage of what fate had left him. He became a serious artist and writer, was married twice (the first marriage was not formalized). Based on his life, the film "My Left Foot" was filmed, for which Daniel Day-Lewis received an Oscar award.

Sudha Chandran– amputation

An Indian dancer who lost her leg in a car accident. The love of dancing and the desire to prove that she is not a burden helped the girl return to active life. After years of painful training, Sudha was able to return to the stage. Currently, she is actively developing her career, starring in TV shows and TV shows, married and raising two children.

Mark Goffany- absence of both hands

Mark was born with a developmental defect - he did not have both hands. Despite this, Mark learned to masterfully play the classical and bass guitar, organized the Big Toe musical group, with which he successfully performs as a vocalist and bass player. Goffeny developed his own technique for playing the guitar: he laid the guitar on the ground and played with his feet.

We have only talked about some of the people who have achieved great success despite serious problems with health. In fact, there are a lot of them even among our contemporaries: Winnie Harlow, Peter Dinklenge, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Vujicic, Marley Matlin, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Charles, Eric Weichenmeier, Esther Werger and others. Their example inspires not to give up under any circumstances and to remember the words spoken by Helen Keller: “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but we often do not notice it, staring at the closed door.

I thank God for my injuries

who helped me find myself

your work and your God.

H. Keller (deaf-blind writer)

Our conversation about dreams is coming to an end, and in the final article of this series, I would like to say a few words about those for whom physical limitations did not become an obstacle to fulfilling their dreams, about famous people with disabilities and people with disabilities who have achieved success. It was much more difficult for them to realize their dreams than for most of us, since the obstacle was all sorts of physical disabilities, congenital or acquired.

But this did not prevent them from realizing what they dreamed of, on the contrary, it was this that prompted them to act against all odds in order to prove to themselves and the world that they, too, can live a fulfilling life. And the more striking example they can serve for us, for those who do not have these restrictions.

The story of the first blind pilot

Miles Hilton-Barber, the world's first blind pilot, is one such example of disabled people who have rightfully achieved success.

His difficult path to a dream, in my opinion, is a vivid illustration of how sometimes it is necessary to break vicious circle from the limited notions that hold back our internal forces, preventing them from breaking through and creating their own reality. Miles Hilton-Barber was born in the family of a pilot (1948, Zimbabwe), and when he grew up, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps.

He is trying to enter the flight school, however, he does not pass the medical examination for vision. And three years later, he is told the terrible news that due to a genetic predisposition, he will soon go blind. And so it happened - by the age of thirty, Miles had completely lost his sight.

Start with a dream

It is even difficult to imagine what was going on in his soul at the same time - a man in the prime of his life was cut off from full life, and the path to the dream, as it seemed to him then, was forever closed.

Miles moved to England where he worked at the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Recalling that time, he admits that he was “afraid to walk four hundred meters to the nearest supermarket for a loaf of bread.”

The example of his younger brother Jeff made him radically reconsider his attitude to life. He is also blind, however, this did not stop him on the way to achieving his goals, and he alone managed to sail on a yacht from Africa to Australia.

It was Jeff who managed to inspire Miles with the idea that that if you want to be successful in life, don't start by being blind, start by doing what you want to do most in life. From your dreams.

Incredible Achievements of Blind People

Thus, Miles, who by that time was already fifty years old, returned to his youthful dream - to become a pilot. When he tried to get trained, he was first told: “How can you? After all, you are blind! ”, To which he replied : "So what? All civil aviation pilots are taught to fly blind, and I'm already blind! Already fit for the profession!

Since then, Miles began a new life. He began to participate in sports adventures that not every healthy person would dare, let alone the blind, such as marathons, running, climbing and flying in small planes. He has a lot of achievements to his credit, for example, a marathon across the Sahara, the conquest of Mount Kilimanjaro, marathons in China and Siberia, and much more.

In 2003, he became the first blind pilot to cross the English Channel in a passenger plane. And their personal example he inspires many people around the world, encouraging them to do what they dream of and not let circumstances hold them back.

How to live a full life despite physical limitations?

The lesson of this amazing story, in my opinion, is primarily that when you really want something, you should not sit and wait until circumstances change in better side, but you just need to go and act.

After all, as Miles himself admitted, that he used to think that if God or medical technology cured him of blindness, then he would have dreams again, and he would begin to live for real.

However, he could wait for this all his life, but, fortunately, did not do this. And this - good example for those who believe that they can achieve something when, for example, the economic situation or anything else in outside world will change for the better.

But, as you know, water will not leak under a lying stone, and as Miles himself admits, "with such an attitude, I would still be sitting at home like a couch vegetable." You should always start with yourself, because, When we change ourselves, the world around us also changes.

« If you want to achieve something in life, start with your dreams, not circumstances. When was the last time you did something for the first time in your life? It was the last time you grew as a person... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by events that take our breath away. Don't be afraid to go where it takes your breath away!" M. Hilton-Barber.

And these words, of course, are relevant not only for those who suffer from any physical injuries, but also for any of us.

Accept the challenge of fate

In the life of any of us, it often happens that on the way to a cherished dream there are obstacles that seem insurmountable, and you suddenly involuntarily begin to think that no, I will never achieve this. However, if your desire is really strong, then such obstacles can be perceived as a kind of challenge to fate, a kind of test, as if some higher powers are checking whether you really want what you are striving for.

"At the heart of every difficulty lies an opportunity" Albert Einstein once said. In this regard, I would like to recall one more story, which can also serve as a vivid example of that even a physical injury is not an obstacle to a dream, and that you should never be afraid to do what no one has done before you.

blind doctor

David W. Hartman went blind when he was eight years old. He had a dream of becoming a doctor, but medical faculty Temple University told him that none of the graduates were blind.

This did not stop David, he courageously accepted the challenge of fate and began to learn from audio recordings, and he had recordings of twenty-five medical textbooks. And thus, at the age of twenty-seven, David became the first blind medical graduate.

Such examples, of course, make us remember the fortitude that is inherent in each of us, which is able to overcome any difficulties and find a way out of seemingly impasse situations.

After all, when before your eyes there is an example of someone who, suffering from some kind of physical injury, nevertheless managed to achieve his goal, then you involuntarily feel that you can also do everything, because you, unlike him, have no restrictions, and you healthy and able to do absolutely anything you want.

The artist without hands

In this regard, another vivid example comes to mind - the Colombian artist Zuly Sanguino. Her paintings are very talented, filled with light and life, and carry such a flow of positive energy that, looking at them, you don’t think at all that their creator is suffering. congenital pathology(she has underdeveloped limbs, in fact, there are no arms and legs, and she draws, holding the brush in her teeth).

The life story of this girl, an artist with a disability, is another vivid example of that our spirit is stronger than any injury, and even if the disease is insurmountable, it cannot be an obstacle to the fulfillment of a cherished dream.

But before Zuly became what she is today, many trials fell to her lot. The girl was born with a diagnosis of phocomelia, and seemed doomed to be bedridden for life. However, her mother did not want to put up with this and made incredible efforts to teach her daughter to sit and even walk on her own.

The family lived in poverty, their house was an ordinary hut with an earthen floor, but mother and daughter stubbornly walked towards their goal. There was another problem they faced - aggression from the father, who did not shy away from insults and often raised his hand to his wife and children.

In the end, he committed suicide, which caused the girl's many years of depression, it seemed that she would never want to take care of her own body.

Can people with disabilities succeed?

The mother had to make a lot of efforts to return the joy of life to her daughter. She taught Zuly to write and draw, and the girl gradually realized her destiny, found a purpose in life.

At the age of fifteen, she realized that she wanted to devote herself to drawing, that it was worth living for this, and she made tremendous efforts to master the basics of painting. The ability to embody her world on paper was gained by the girl through blood and sweat, but since then she has begun a new, bright streak. After all, she realized her mission - to give people light and joy through her painting. .

But when you strive to bring joy to someone, then your own suffering fades into the background, and you see, feel, first of all, the beautiful - in yourself and in the world around you.

Now Zuly is 24 years old and she has learned to do almost everything on her own: she dresses herself, puts on makeup, mop the floors and, of course, draws.

In addition, she takes an active part in environmental initiatives: together with her brothers and sisters, she regularly collects garbage in her neighborhood, in her free time she helps her mother with younger children or babysits neighbors' kids.

Moreover, she gives motivational lectures in private firms, schools and even prisons. Of course, unlike most of us, she has to overcome herself every day, facing her own physical limitations, and what for us is a simple action, for her is a small feat, but the clearer her example makes it clear that when we show the strength of the spirit, we are able to overcome everything.

“The human spirit cannot be paralyzed. You breathe, so you can dream.” M. Brown

The most famous and talented disabled people in history

And you can still give a lot of examples of famous people who accepted the challenge of fate and achieved amazing success, while having disabilities and other deviations from a healthy physical body.

John Milton, the famous poet and writer, was blind.

Itzhak Perlman, the famous world-class violinist, is paraplegic of the lower half of the body.

James Thurber, cartoonist and humorist, had very poor eyesight.

Heather Wyston, Miss America 94, deaf.

Reifer Johnson, decathlon champion, was born with a deformed foot.

Eduard Golderness, a Russian poet and translator who lived in Georgia, was terminally ill from the age of fifteen. But at the same time, as his beloved woman recalls:

“I have never seen a more heroic, restless fate around me. The point is not only that he was a poet, wrote sonnets, translated - he carried out "the connection of man with man", he created new higher forms of human communication, he ennobled those who lived next to him.

And this list could be continued. After all, the main thing that unites all these people is the strength and fortitude of the spirit, the ability not to put up with circumstances, to live and create, embodying their cherished desires.

Live sincerely and you will achieve everything despite the limitations

"Fate is not given to a person from the outside, but every day ripens in his heart",- Said the famous Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda. In other words, each of us creates our own destiny every day, carefully grows it, like a sprout from a seed. After all, what you put into yourself, then in the end it germinates.

And the examples of those we talked about can be a vivid confirmation of this idea - that each of us, in the end, is the creator of our own destiny, and there is a way out of any, even the most impasse situation, when you know what strive.

It is these people who have been handicapped since birth or who have become disabled as a result of accidents and teach us to appreciate what we have and to reveal the possibilities inherent in us by God.

After all, as the Russian woman Vera Kotelyanets says, who was born without arms and learned to do everything with her legs, including caring for children: “When I hear that someone complains about life, I think: “I would like your hands, I would turn the world with them!”

There is nothing to add to this, as they say. Stop complaining that you don’t have enough money or good acquaintances, because if you start living sincerely, improve yourself and every day take at least a small step towards your destiny and what you love most (to your dream), then soon between your happiness and there will be no barriers left for you, and you will be able to achieve whatever you want, despite any physical or material limitations, which is what I wish you.