People with disabilities who have achieved success. Famous disabled people in history

We are used to sad stories about people with disabilities who need help in the media. But it turns out that there are other stories… Their heroes were able not only to overcome their illness, but also to achieve great success.

Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel 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, the writer, being in military service in the navy, took part in the Battle of Lepanto, where he was seriously wounded by a shot from an arquebus, because of which he lost his left arm. Later, in his poem Journey to Parnassus, he wrote that he "lost the capacity of his left hand for the sake of the glory of his right."

Miguel de Cervantes

Ludwig van Beethoven

In 1796, already a well-known pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing: he developed tinnitus, an inflammation of the inner ear, leading to ringing in the ears. By 1802, the composer was completely deaf, but it was from that time that he created his most famous works. In 1803-1804, Beethoven wrote the "Heroic" symphony, in 1803-1805 - the opera "Fidelio". In addition, at this time he wrote piano sonatas from the 28th to the last - 32nd, two cello sonatas, quartets, the vocal cycle "To a Distant Beloved". Being completely deaf, Beethoven created two of his most monumental works - the Solemn Mass and Symphony No. 9 with Choir.

Ludwig van Beethoven. Portrait of Karl Stieler, 1820

Louis Braille

At the age of 3, Louis Braille began to go blind as a result of inflammation of the eyes, which began when the boy was injured with a saddle knife in his father's workshop. He became completely blind at the age of 5. In 1824, Braille developed the embossed dotted font for the blind (Braille), which is still used throughout the world today. In addition to letters and numbers, on the basis of the same principles, he developed musical notation and taught music to the blind.

Louis Braille

Sarah Bernard

Many prominent theater figures, such as Konstantin Stanislavsky, considered the art of Sarah Bernhardt a model of technical excellence. During a 1905 tour in Rio de Janeiro, the actress injured her right leg, which had to be amputated in 1915. But, despite the injury, Bernard did not leave the stage activity. During the First World War, she performed at the front, in 1914 she was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Despite the injury, Sarah Bernard did not leave the stage activity

In 1922, the "divine Sarah" took the stage for the last time. She was already under 80 years old, and she played in "Lady of the Camellias", sitting in a chair.

Sara Bernard. Photo of Nadar, 1864

Helen Adams Keller

After an illness suffered at the age of one and a half years, Helen completely lost her hearing and vision. Since 1887, a young teacher at the Perkins School, Ann Sullivan, began to study with her. In the course of many months of hard work, the girl mastered the sign language, and then began to learn to speak, having mastered the correct movements of the lips and larynx.

Helen Keller with Ann Sullivan, 1888

Keller entered Radcliffe College in 1900 and graduated summa cum laude in 1904. She has written and published more than a dozen books about herself, her feelings, studies, worldview and understanding of religion, including The World I Live in, The Story of My Life and others, advocated the inclusion of the deaf-blind in the active life of society. Helen's story formed the basis of William Gibson's famous play The Miracle Worker, which was filmed in 1962.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

In 1921, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became seriously ill with polio. Despite years of trying to beat the disease, the politician remained paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. One of the most significant pages in the history of US foreign policy and diplomacy is associated with his name, in particular, the establishment and normalization of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the US participation in the anti-Hitler coalition.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941

Alexey Maresyev

On April 4, 1942, in the area of ​​​​the so-called "Demyansk cauldron" (Novgorod region), in a battle with the Germans, the plane of Alexei Maresyev was shot down, and the pilot himself was seriously wounded. For eighteen days, Maresiev, wounded in the legs, crawled his way to the front line. Both of his legs were amputated at the hospital. But he, having been discharged from the hospital, again sat at the helm of the aircraft.

During the war, Maresyev shot down 11 enemy planes: 4 before being wounded and 7 after

Alexey Maresyev

In total, during the war, Maresyev made 86 sorties, shot down 11 enemy aircraft: four before being wounded and seven after. Alexey became the prototype of the hero of Boris Polevoy's story "The Tale of a Real Man".

Ray Charles

American musician, legendary man, author of more than 70 studio albums, one of the world's most famous soul, jazz and rhythm and blues music performers, Ray Charles, went blind at the age of seven - presumably due to glaucoma.

Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business"

Charles is the most famous blind musician of our time. He was awarded 17 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll, Jazz, Country and Blues Halls of Fame, and the Georgia State Hall of Fame. His recordings have been included in the US Library of Congress. Frank Sinatra called Ray "the only true genius in show business". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Ray Charles #10 on their Immortals List of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Ray Charles, 1983

Stephen William Hawking

In 1962, Stephen Hawking graduated from Oxford University and began to study theoretical physics. At the same time, he began to show signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which led to paralysis. After a throat operation in 1985, Hawking lost the ability to speak. Friends gave him a speech synthesizer that was installed on his wheelchair. Some mobility was retained only by the index finger on Stephen's right hand. Subsequently, mobility remained only in the mimic muscle of the cheek, opposite which the sensor was fixed. With its help, the physicist controls a computer that allows him to communicate with others.

Stephen Hawking, 1980

Despite a serious illness, Stephen Hawking leads an active life. Until 2009, he held the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, a position that three centuries ago belonged to Isaac Newton. In 2007, Hawking flew in zero gravity on a special aircraft, and in 2009 he was scheduled to fly into space, which, unfortunately, did not take place.

December 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1992.

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 arquebus, due to which he lost his left arm. He later wrote that "by depriving me of my left hand, God made my right hand work harder and harder."

Ludwig van Beethoven(1770 - 1827) - German composer, representative of the Viennese classical school. In 1796, already a well-known composer, Beethoven began to lose his hearing: he developed tinitis, an inflammation of the inner ear. By 1802, Beethoven was completely deaf, but it was from that time that the composer created his most famous works. In 1803-1804, Beethoven wrote the Heroic Symphony, in 1803-1805 - the opera Fidelio. In addition, at this time, Beethoven wrote piano sonatas from the Twenty-eighth to the last - Thirty-second; two sonatas for cello, quartets, vocal cycle "To a Distant Beloved". Being completely deaf, Beethoven created two of his most monumental works - the Solemn Mass and the Ninth Symphony with Chorus (1824).

Louis Braille(1809 - 1852) - French tiflopedagogue. At the age of 3, Braille injured his eye with a saddlery knife, which caused sympathetic inflammation of the eyes and made him blind. In 1829, Louis Braille developed the embossed dotted font for the blind, which is still used throughout the world today - Braille. In addition to letters and numbers, on the basis of the same principles, he developed musical notation and taught music to the blind.

Sarah Bernard(1844‑1923) - French actress. Many prominent theater figures, such as Konstantin Stanislavsky, considered Bernard's art to be a model of technical perfection. In 1914, after an accident, her leg was amputated, but the actress continued to perform. In 1922, Sarah Bernhardt took to the stage for the last time. She was in her late 80s and was playing "Lady of the Camellias" while sitting in a chair.

Joseph Pulitzer(1847 - 1911) - American publisher, journalist, founder of the "yellow press" genre. Blind at 40. After his death, he left $2 million to Columbia University. Three-quarters of these funds went to the creation of the Graduate School of Journalism, and the remaining amount was established by the award for American journalists, which has been awarded since 1917.

Helen Keller(1880‑1968) - American writer, teacher and public figure. After an illness suffered at the age of one and a half years, she remained deaf-blind-mute. Since 1887, a young teacher at the Perkins Institute, Ann Sullivan, has been studying with her. In the course of many months of hard work, the girl mastered the sign language, and then began to learn to speak, having mastered the correct movements of the lips and larynx. Helen Keller entered Radcliffe College in 1900 and graduated summa cum laude in 1904. She has written and published more than a dozen books about herself, her feelings, studies, worldview and understanding of religion, including The World I Live In, Helen Keller's Diary, and others. Helen's story was the basis for Gibson's famous play, The Miracle Worker (1959), which was adapted into a 1962 film.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt(1882‑1945) - 32nd President of the United States (1933‑1945). In 1921, Roosevelt became seriously ill with polio. Despite years of trying to beat the disease, Roosevelt remained paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. One of the most significant pages in the history of US foreign policy and diplomacy is associated with his name, in particular, the establishment and normalization of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the US participation in the anti-Hitler coalition.

Lina Po- the pseudonym that Polina Mikhailovna Gorenstein (1899‑1948) took, when in 1918 she began to perform as a ballerina, dancer. In 1934, Lina Po fell ill with encephalitis, she was paralyzed, she completely lost her sight. After the tragedy, Lina Po began to sculpt, and already in 1937 her works appeared at an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin. In 1939, Lina Po was admitted to the Moscow Union of Soviet Artists. Currently, individual works by Lina Poe are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery and other museums in the country. But the main collection of sculptures is in the memorial hall of Lina Po, opened in the museum of the All-Russian Society of the Blind.

Alexey Maresyev(1916 - 2001) - legendary pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union. On April 4, 1942, in the area of ​​​​the so-called "Demyansky cauldron" (Novgorod region), in a battle with the Germans, the plane of Alexei Maresyev was shot down, and Alexei himself was seriously wounded. For eighteen days, the pilot, wounded in the legs, crawled his way to the front line. Both of his legs were amputated at the hospital. But he, having been discharged from the hospital, again sat at the helm of the aircraft. In total, during the war he made 86 sorties, shot down 11 enemy aircraft: four before being wounded and seven after being wounded. Maresyev became the prototype of the hero of Boris Polevoy's story "The Tale of a Real Man".

Mikhail Suvorov(1930 - 1998) - author of sixteen collections of poetry. At the age of 13, he lost his sight from a mine explosion. Many of the poet's poems have been set to music and have received wide recognition: "Red Carnation", "Girls Sing about Love", "Don't Be Sad" and others. For more than thirty years, Mikhail Suvorov taught at a specialized part-time school for working youth for the blind. He was awarded the title of Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation.

Ray Charles(1930 - 2004) - American musician, legendary man, author of more than 70 studio albums, one of the world's most famous performers of music in the styles of soul, jazz and rhythm and blues. He went blind at the age of seven - presumably due to glaucoma. Ray Charles is the most famous blind musician of our time; he was awarded 12 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll, Jazz, Country and Blues Halls of Fame, the Georgia State Hall of Fame, and his recordings were included in the US Library of Congress. Frank Sinatra called Charles "the only real genius in show business." In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Ray Charles number 10 on their "List of Immortals" - the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Stephen Hawking(1942) - famous English theoretical physicist and astrophysicist, author of the theory of primordial black holes and many others. In 1962 he graduated from Oxford University and began studying theoretical physics. At the same time, Hawking began to show signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which led to paralysis. After a throat operation in 1985, Stephen Hawking lost the ability to speak. He only moves the fingers of his right hand, with which he controls his chair and a special computer that speaks for him.

Stephen Hawking is currently the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, a position held three centuries ago by Isaac Newton. Despite a serious illness, Hawking leads an active life. In 2007, he flew in zero gravity in a special aircraft and announced that he intends to make a suborbital flight in a spaceplane in 2009.

Valery Fefelov(1949) - a member of the dissident movement in the USSR, a fighter for the rights of the disabled. While working as an electrician, in 1966 he received an industrial injury - he fell from a power line support and broke his spine - after which he remained disabled for life, he could only move in a wheelchair. In May 1978, together with Yuri Kiselev (Moscow) and Faizulla Khusainov (Chistopol, Tatarstan), he created the Initiative Group for the Protection of the Rights of the Disabled in the USSR. The group called the creation of the All-Union Society of the Disabled as its main goal. The activities of the Initiative Group were considered anti-Soviet by the authorities. In May 1982, a criminal case was opened against Valery Fefelov under the article "resistance to the authorities." Under the threat of arrest, Fefelov agreed to the KGB demand to go abroad and in October 1982 left for Germany, where in 1983 he and his family received political asylum. Author of the book "There are no disabled people in the USSR!", published in Russian, English and Dutch.

Stevie Wonder(1950) - American musician, singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. Lost his sight in infancy. Too much oxygen was supplied to the oxygen box where the child was placed. The result is retinitis pigmentosa and blindness. He is called one of the greatest musicians of our time: he won the Grammy Award 22 times; became one of the musicians who actually determined the popular styles of "black" music - rhythm and blues and soul of the middle of the 20th century. Wonder's name is immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Composers Hall of Fame in the United States. During his career, he recorded over 30 albums.

Christopher Reeve(1952‑2004) - American theater and film actor, director, screenwriter, public figure. In 1978, he gained worldwide fame thanks to the role of Superman in the American film of the same name and its sequels. In 1995, during a race, he fell off a horse, was seriously injured and remained completely paralyzed. Since then, he has devoted his life to rehabilitation therapy and, together with his wife, opened a center for teaching the paralyzed the skills of independent existence. Despite the injury, Christopher Reeve continued to work in television, film and social activities until the last days.

Marley Matlin(1965) - American actress. She lost her hearing at the age of one and a half, and, despite this, at the age of seven she began to play in the children's theater. At 21, she received an Oscar for her debut film, Children of a Lesser God, becoming the youngest Oscar winner in history for Best Actress.

Eric Weichenmeier(1968) - the world's first rock climber who reached the summit of Everest, being blind. Eric Weichenmeier lost his sight when he was 13 years old. Onako he completed his studies and then became a high school teacher himself, then a wrestling coach and a world-class athlete. About Weichenmeier's journey, director Peter Winter made a live-action television film "Touch the Top of the World". In addition to Everest, Weihenmayer has conquered the seven highest mountain peaks in the world, including Kilimanjaro and Elbrus.

Esther Vergeer(1981) - Dutch tennis player. Considered one of the greatest wheelchair tennis players in history. She has been bedridden since the age of nine, when her legs were paralyzed as a result of spinal cord surgery. Esther Vergeer is a multiple Grand Slam winner, seven-time world champion, four-time Olympic champion. In Sydney and Athens, she excelled both independently and in pairs. Since January 2003, Vergeer has not suffered a single defeat, winning 240 sets in a row. In 2002 and 2008, she became the winner of the "Best Disabled Athlete" award presented by the Laureus World Sports Academy.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

December 3rd is celebrated as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities around the world. We will tell you eight inspiring stories about strong-willed people for whom disability has not become a death sentence. By their example, they proved that limited opportunities should not prevent a person from living a full life. A broken body does not mean a broken spirit!

Nick Vujicic

He was born with Tetra-Amelia Syndrome, a rare hereditary disorder resulting in the absence of four limbs. At the age of 10, he tried to drown himself in the bath so as not to cause more inconvenience to his loved ones. Now Nick is one of the most famous and popular motivational speakers in the world, has a beautiful wife and son. And by its very existence, it gives hope for a “normal” life to thousands of people.

Carrie Brown

17-year-old Carrie Brown is a carrier of Down syndrome. Not so long ago, thanks to the active support of my friends and the Internet, one of the American manufacturers of youth clothing. Carrie began posting photos of herself wearing Wet Seal on her social media account, which became so popular that she was invited to be the brand's face.

Taylor Morris

This story of true love circled the Internet a year ago. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, blown up by a bomb, lost all limbs, but miraculously survived. Upon returning home, his 23-year-old fiancee Kelly not only did not leave her beloved, but also helped him literally “get on his feet” again, even though he no longer has legs.

Jessica Long

The little inhabitant of the Irkutsk shelter, Tanya Kirillova, was lucky - at 13 months old, she, who was born without tibia and foot bones, was adopted by an American family. This is how Jessica Long appeared - the famous swimmer, the owner of 12 Paralympic gold medals and the world record holder among athletes without legs.

Mark Inglis

New Zealander Mark Inglis in 2006, having lost both legs twenty years earlier. The climber froze them in one of the previous expeditions, but did not part with his dream of Everest and climbed to the top, which is difficult even for "ordinary" people.

Tatiana McFadden

Tatiana is another American paraplegic athlete of Russian origin. She is a multiple winner of women's wheelchair racing, including the 2013 Boston Marathon. Now Tatyana really wants to go to the Paralympic Games in Sochi, and for this she has specially mastered a completely new sport for herself - cross-country skiing and biathlon.

Lizzy Velasquez

One day, not too fine, I saw a video posted on the Internet called “The Worst Woman in the World” with many views and corresponding comments. It is easy to guess that the video showed ... Lizzie herself, who was born with a rare syndrome, due to which she completely lacks adipose tissue. Lizzy's first impulse was to rush into an unequal "battle" with the commentators and tell them everything she thinks about them. But instead, she pulled herself together and proved to the whole world that you don't have to be beautiful to inspire people. She has already published two books and successfully gives motivational speeches.

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox is the world's first pilot without arms. Jessica was born without arms, but with a strong spirit. Today she is a graduate in psychology, can type, drive a car, comb her hair, make phone calls with her feet. He is into ballet and sports. In addition, she has a car license without restrictions and has a pilot's license. Flying the plane with her feet, she flew 89 hours.

Everyone knows about the Paralympic movement now. Some Paralympic athletes are as famous as their healthy counterparts. And some of these amazing people challenge ordinary athletes and not only compete on a par with them, but also win. Below are 10 of the most striking examples of this in the history of world sports.

1. Markus Rehm Germany. Athletics

As a child, Markus was engaged in wakeboarding. At the age of 14, in a training accident, he lost his right leg below the knee. Despite this, Markus returned to the sport and in 2005 won the German youth wakeboarding championship.
After that, Rem switched to athletics and took up the long jump and sprint, using a special prosthesis like the one that Oscar Pistorius has. In 2011-2014, Rem won numerous handicapped tournaments, including the London 2012 Paralympics (gold in the long jump and bronze in the 4x100m relay).
In 2014, Rem won the long jump at the German National Championships, ahead of former European champion Christian Reif. However, the German Athletics Union did not allow Röhm to participate in the 2014 European Championships: biomechanical measurements showed that due to the use of a prosthesis, the athlete has some advantages over ordinary athletes.

2. Natalie du Toit SOUTH AFRICA. Swimming

Natalie was born on January 29, 1984 in Cape Town. She has been swimming since childhood. At the age of 17, returning from training, Natalie was hit by a car. Doctors had to amputate the girl's left leg. However, Natalie continued to play sports, and competed not only with Paralympic athletes, but also with healthy athletes. In 2003, she won the All-Africa Games in the 800m and took bronze in the Afro-Asian Games in the 400m freestyle.
At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, du Toit competed in the 10 km open water swim on par with able-bodied athletes and finished 16th out of 25 participants. She became the first athlete in history to be entrusted with carrying her country's flag at the opening ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

3. Oscar Pistorius SOUTH AFRICA. Athletics

Oscar Pistroius was born on November 22, 1986 in Johannesburg to a wealthy family. Oscar had a congenital physical defect - he had no fibulae in both legs. So that the boy could use prostheses, it was decided to amputate his legs below the knee.
Despite his disability, Oscar studied at a regular school and was actively involved in sports: rugby, tennis, water polo and wrestling, but subsequently decided to concentrate on running. For Pistorius, special prostheses were constructed from carbon fiber - a very durable and lightweight material.
Among athletes with disabilities, Pistorius was unrivaled in the sprint: from 2004 to 2012, he won 6 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals at the Paralympic Games. For a long time he sought the opportunity to compete with healthy athletes. At first, sports officials prevented this: at first it was believed that the springy prostheses would give Pistorius an advantage over other runners, then there were fears that the prostheses could cause injury to other athletes. In 2008, Oscar Pistorius finally won the right to compete for ordinary athletes. In 2011, he won a silver medal with the South African national team in the 4x100m relay.
Oscar Pistorius' career was cut short on February 14, 2013, when he killed his model girlfriend Riva Steenkamp. Pistorius claimed that he committed the murder by mistake, mistaking the girl for a robber, but the court considered the murder intentional and sentenced the athlete to 5 years in prison.

4. Natalia Partyka Poland. Table tennis

Natalya Partyka was born with a congenital handicap - without her right hand and forearm. Despite this, since childhood, Natalya has been playing table tennis: she played holding a racket in her left hand.
In 2000, 11-year-old Partyka took part in the Paralympic Games in Sydney, becoming the youngest participant in the games. In total, she has 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze Paralympic medals.
At the same time, Partyka participates in competitions for healthy athletes. In 2004 she won two gold medals at the European Cadet Championship, in 2008 and 2014 she won bronze at the adult European Championship and in 2009 she won silver.

5. Hector Castro Uruguay. Football

At the age of 13, Hector Castro lost his right hand as a result of careless handling of an electric saw. However, this did not stop him from playing great football. He was even nicknamed El manco - "one-armed".
As part of the Uruguay national team, Castro won the 1928 Olympics and the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 (Castro scored the last goal in the final), as well as two South American championships and three Uruguayan championships.
After the end of his career as a football player, Castro became a coach. Under his leadership, his native club Nacional won the national championship 5 times.

6. Murray Halberg New Zealand. Athletics

Murray Halberg was born July 7, 1933 in New Zealand. In his youth, he played rugby, but during one of the matches he received a severe injury to his left hand. Despite all the efforts of doctors, the hand remained paralyzed.
Despite his disability, Halberg did not give up sports, but switched to long-distance running. Already in 1954 he won his first national title. In 1958, at the Commonwealth Games, he won gold in the three-mile race and was named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year.
At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Halberg competed in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. At the first distance he won, and at the second he took 5th place.
In 1961, Halberg set three world records over 1 mile in 19 days. In 1962, he again competed at the Commonwealth Games, where he flew the New Zealand flag at the opening ceremony and defended his title in the three-mile race. Murray Halberg ended his sports career in 1964 after participating in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, finishing seventh in the 10,000 meters.
Leaving the big sport, Halberg took up charity work. In 1963, he created the Halberg Trust for disabled children, which became the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation in 2012.
In 1988, Murray Halberg was awarded the honorary title of Knight Bachelor for his service to sports and disabled children.

7. Takács Károly Hungary. Pistol shooting

Already in the 1930s, the Hungarian soldier Karoly Takacs was considered a world-class shooter. However, he could not take part in the 1936 Olympics, since he only had the rank of sergeant, and only officers were taken to the shooting team. In 1938, Takachu's right arm was blown off by a faulty grenade. In secret from his colleagues, he began to train, holding a pistol in his left hand, and the very next year he was able to win the Hungarian Championship and the European Championship.
In 1948, at the London Olympics, Takacs won the pistol shooting competition, surpassing the world record. Four years later, at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Karoly Takacs successfully defended his title and became the first ever two-time Olympic champion in rapid-fire pistol shooting competitions.
After finishing his career as an athlete, Takach worked as a coach. His pupil Szilard Kuhn won the silver medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

8. Lim Dong Hyun. South Korea. Archery

Lim Dong Hyun suffers from a severe form of myopia: his left eye sees only 10%, and his right eye only 20%. Despite this, the Korean athlete is engaged in archery.
For Lim, the targets are just colored spots, but the athlete basically does not use glasses or contact lenses, and also refuses laser vision correction. As a result of long training, Lim has developed a phenomenal muscle memory that allows him to achieve amazing results: he is a two-time Olympic champion and a four-time world archery champion.

9. Oliver Halashshi (Halassy Olivér). Hungary. Water polo and swimming

At the age of 8, Oliver was hit by a tram and lost part of his left leg below the knee. Despite his disability, he was actively involved in sports - swimming and water polo. Halashsi was a member of the Hungarian water floor team, the world leader in this sport in the 1920s and 1930s. As part of the national team, he won three European Championships (in 1931, 1934 and 1938) and two Olympics (in 1932 and 1936), and also became the silver medalist of the 1928 Olympics.
In addition, Halashsi showed good results in freestyle swimming, but only at the national level. He won about 30 gold medals in the Hungarian championships, but at the international level his results were weaker: only in 1931 he won the European Championship in the 1500-meter freestyle, and did not swim at all at the Olympic Games.
At the end of his sports career, Oliver Halashshi worked as an auditor.
Oliver Khalashshi died under very vague circumstances: on September 10, 1946, he was shot dead by a Soviet soldier of the Central Group of Forces in his own car. For obvious reasons, this fact was not advertised in socialist Hungary, and the details of the incident remained not fully clarified.

10. George Eyser USA. Gymnastics

Georg Eiser was born in 1870 in the German city of Kiel. In 1885, his family emigrated to the United States, and therefore the athlete became known by the English form of the name - George Eyser.
In his youth, Eiser was hit by a train and almost completely lost his left leg. He was forced to use a wooden prosthesis. Despite this, Eiser did a lot of sports - in particular, gymnastics. He took part in the 1904 Olympics, where he won 6 medals in various gymnastic disciplines (exercises on the uneven bars, vault, rope climbing - gold; exercises on a horse and exercises on 7 shells - silver; exercises on the crossbar - bronze). Thus, George Eiser is the most decorated amputee athlete in the history of the Olympics.
At the same Olympics, Eiser participated in triathlon (long jump, shot put and 100-meter snatch), but took the last, 118th place.
After the Olympic triumph, Eiser continued to perform as part of the Concordia gymnastic team. In 1909 he won the National Gymnastics Festival in Cincinnati.

I thank God for my injuries

who helped me find myself

your work and your God.

H. Keller (deaf-blind writer)

The most famous and talented disabled people in history.

We 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 the vicious circle of limited ideas that hold back our inner 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 a full life, and the path to his 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 if you want to succeed in life, you don’t have to start with the fact that you are blind, start with 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 with his 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 is, first of all, that when you really want something, you should not sit and wait for things to change for the better, 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 is a good example for those who believe that they can achieve something when, for example, the economic situation or anything else in the outside world changes 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 always need to start with yourself, because when we ourselves change, 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 the fact 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 at the Temple University School of Medicine he was told that there was not a single blind among the graduates.

This did not stop David, he courageously accepted the challenge of fate and began to study 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 stream of positive energy that, looking at them, you don’t think at all that their creator suffers from a congenital pathology (she has underdeveloped limbs, in fact, 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 the fact that our spirit is stronger than any injury, and even if the illness 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, she, unlike most of us, 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 more clearly her example makes it clear that when we 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 like the world turned them over!”

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 you will have no barriers left, and you will be able to achieve whatever you want, despite any physical or material limitations.

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