Prominent elderly person with disabilities. People with disabilities who have achieved success (photo)

Famous disabled people in history

Do you have a disability or serious illness? You are not alone. Many people with disabilities have contributed to 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 the 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) (sick with 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(06/5/1932 - 09/06/1981) - Irish author, artist and poet. The film "My Left Leg" was made about his life. 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 famous 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 an Academy Award for Best Actress for 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 a great height while performing a stunt in a circus. The doctors' verdict was ruthless: "Compression fracture of the 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 for the Rehabilitation of Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries and the Consequences of Infantile Cerebral Palsy was opened - the Dikul Center. In subsequent years, 3 more V.I. Dikul centers were opened in Moscow alone. Then, under the scientific guidance of 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 from an 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. She was a very interesting, talented person, she communicated with a large circle of talented people of her 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.

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To become the best in your business, to live in harmony with yourself - it is generally believed that only the “darlings of fate” can do this: lucky, courageous, strong. But there are people who achieve significant results, despite the fact that life has not always been favorable to them. We dedicate this presentation to those who persevere towards achieving the goal, overcoming limitations and circumstances. For those who know they can achieve great things. To those who strive. As well as those who help people with disabilities believe in themselves and make their dreams come true.

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The word "invalid" in Latin means "powerless". A disabled person is a person whose capabilities are limited due to his physical, mental or mental disabilities. The word "disabled" for some people is perceived as offensive, therefore, the term "person with disabilities" is now more commonly used. Our society strives to ensure that disabled people are more involved in public life, therefore, it organizes many rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities.

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People with disabilities are people with physical disabilities, BUT this does not prevent them from being successful in life!

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Ludwig van Beethoven - the great German composer, conductor and pianist of the XXVIII century In 1796, already a famous composer, Beethoven began to lose his hearing: he developed tinitis - inflammation of the inner ear. By 1802, Beethoven was completely deaf, but it was from that time that the composer began to create his most famous works.

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Louis Braille, teacher, creator of the Braille alphabet (1809 - 1852) Due to an absurd accident, he lost his sight and created an alphabet for the blind. At the age of three, Louis injured his eye with a knife, which caused inflammation of the eyes and made him blind. In 1829, Louis Braille developed the embossed dotted font for the blind, which is still used all over the world today - Braille. In addition to letters and numbers, on the basis of the same principles, he developed the writing of notes for the blind and taught them music. Braille, now used to transfer knowledge in all areas of human activity, is equally accessible to both scientists and ordinary people.

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Sarah Bernhardt, actress The French actress Sarah Bernhardt at the beginning of the 20th century was called "the most famous actress in history." Sarah achieved success on the stages of Europe, and then toured with triumph in America. Her repertoire included mostly serious dramatic roles, which earned the actress the nickname "Divine Sarah". However, in 1905, while on tour in Rio de Janeiro, Bernard severely injured her right leg, which had to be amputated in 1915. But the "Divine Sarah" did not leave the stage activity: during the First World War, she performed at the front and was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor.

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Nikolai Ostrovsky, writer Nikolai Ostrovsky managed to change many professions But the main thing is that he wrote the novel "How the Steel Was Tempered". Already in his youth, "ossification" of the spine occurred, and at the age of 36 the writer became blind and paralyzed. He no longer got out of bed, but continued to write a book, dictating its text to his assistant.

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt - 32nd President of the United States In 1921, Roosevelt became seriously ill with polio, was confined to a wheelchair until the end of his days, but this did not prevent him from being elected to the post of President of the United States four times - an unprecedented event in the history of America! 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.

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Alexey Petrovich Maresyev Hero of the Soviet Union, pilot Legendary pilot of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union. On April 4, 1942, 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".

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Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, scientist, creator of a space rocket "The main motive of my life: to do something useful for people, to move humanity forward at least a little bit" At the age of nine, after sledding, Kostya Tsiolkovsky caught a cold. The temperature has risen. The called doctor has defined - a scarlet fever. He was ill for a long time and hard, but survived. However, the consequence of the disease was partial deafness. A Russian scientist who worked in the field of aeronautics, aerodynamics and astronautics, the inventor of the rocket and space explorer, Tsiolkovsky was the first to develop a model of a rocket capable of flying into space. True, during his lifetime he was not able to observe its launch.

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Stephen Hawking, scientist "In my thoughts I am free" Nobel Prize winner. World-class physicist and mathematician, considered the second most important scientist of the 20th century after Einstein. Paralyzed almost completely. He only moves the fingers of his right hand, with which he controls his moving chair and a special computer that speaks for him. He is alive and continues his research, visited space, starred in scientific programs and serials, films.

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Vanga, the soothsayer One of the famous blind people is the clairvoyant Vanga. At the age of 12, she lost her sight due to a hurricane that threw her hundreds of meters. They found her only in the evening with sand-filled eyes. During the Second World War, Vanga determined the whereabouts of missing people, whether they were alive or not, predicted the future not only for individuals, but also for entire parties and even countries.

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Pablo Pineda, writer, actor "The worst enemy of children with Down syndrome is silence" The Spaniard Pablo Pineda is the first person in Europe with Down syndrome to receive a higher education. In March 2009, Pineda completed an apprenticeship in Córdoba and is preparing for the exams for the right to teach. Recently, the feature film Me Too, starring Pablo Pineda, was released. At the San Sebastian Film Festival, he was awarded the Silver Shell for Best Actor.

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Ruben David González Gallego, writer “I am a hero. I just have no other choice" Ruben David Gonzalez Gallego is widely known as the author of the autobiographical work "White on Black", awarded in 2003 the Booker - Open Russia Literary Prize for the best novel in Russian. Ruben Gallego wrote this book with one finger, because from birth he is almost completely paralyzed.

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Valentin Ivanovich Dikul, circus performer, creator of medical centers During the performance of a trick in the circus, he fell from a great height. The verdict of the doctors was merciless: “a fracture of the spine and a traumatic brain injury. Will never walk again." Dikul created his own recovery technique, opened a medical center under his own name. Later, under his leadership, clinics appeared throughout Russia and abroad, in which people with similar injuries of the spine and limbs were helped.

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Diana Gurtskaya, singer, pianist At first, Diana sang only for her family and classmates at a boarding school for blind children. Little Diana managed to convince the teachers of the music school that she could learn to play the piano and graduated from school with success. Her sensual style of performance made a splash in the hall of the Tbilisi Philharmonic. Now she is a famous singer of our stage.

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Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev - Russian artist, master of portraiture, graphics, caricatures I knew a lot in the life of interesting, talented and good people. But if I have ever seen a truly great spirit in a person, it is in Kustodiev.” This is how Fyodor Chaliapin wrote about this painter. At the age of 31, Kustodiev developed spinal tuberculosis, which resulted in complete paralysis of the legs, and from that moment the artist was chained to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But he continued to paint.

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Veronika Skugina, actress My coach is life It happens that she hurries through the streets of St. Petersburg on business, and she is stopped: “Oh, we saw the movie in which you played! Give me an autograph, please." At this moment, those who were nearby look with even greater curiosity at the beautiful girl without legs on the cart. Veronica never refuses an autograph, gives a charming smile and rolls on. But I don't want to let this girl go. And I want to speed up the step to the beat of her nimble cart and chat. About the weather, about the last movie he saw, about music, about a new book.

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Eric Weichenmeier, climber The world's first climber to reach the summit of Everest while blind. Eric Weichenmeier lost his sight when he was 13 years old. However, he completed his studies and went on to become 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.

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Marley Matlin, actress American actress Marley Matlin became the first and only deaf actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for Children of a Lesser God. Her subsequent work in film and television earned her a Golden Globe and two more nominations, as well as four Emmy nominations. For career achievements, Matlin was awarded her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Nick Vuychich, speaker Has a rare genetic disease - tetraamelia. This disabled person is deprived by nature of both arms and legs. Nick's only limb is one small foot 10-15 cm with two fingers, with which he learned to print with incredible efforts, and then began to write motivational articles that were very popular not only among patients, but also among healthy people. Worried about his appearance, this strong-willed disabled person mastered the principles of positive psychology. He came to the conclusion that all complexes and fears occur solely because of negative thoughts. By changing their course, you can completely change everything in life. Today, Nick Vujicic works as a motivational speaker, invited to speak on all continents. Basically, his speeches are listened to by disabled people and people who, for some reason, have lost their meaning in life. In addition to success, a courageous disabled person has other joys in life - a beautiful wife and an absolutely healthy son.

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Michael Kreuzer - Mime Yomi It is very important not to withdraw into yourself. Find the strength in yourself to move forward and reveal your talent The unique actor Michael Kreuzer, better known as the mime Yomi, lost his hearing as a child after suffering from meningitis. But this did not prevent him from making a brilliant career on stage. Michael studied with the legendary Parisian mime Marcel Marceau, and he was his only deaf student. Thanks to his virtuoso pantomimes, Yomi gained worldwide fame. Now Yomi performs at the best venues in the world with solo programs.

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Anna Macdonald, writer British writer, Anna Macdonald did not even receive the support of her parents as a child. Due to careless handling of the mother, just a few days after birth, the baby received a head injury. Because of her, the disabled girl became intellectually handicapped. Noticing the growing mental retardation of the child, relatives gave her to an orphanage. In this institution, the girl, as she noticed her dissimilarity to healthy people, and immediately began to actively work on herself. The task was difficult, because even the teachers did not help her. Having found the alphabet on the shelves, the girl studied the meaning of one letter for months. Having learned to read, Anna did not miss any of the books that fell into her hands. Having literally formed the talent of a writer in herself with great difficulty, already a young girl wrote a memoir called "Anna's Exit", describing her many difficulties on the way to growing up. The memoirs achieved worldwide recognition, and subsequently they were filmed. As a result, a disabled woman became a welcome guest on foreign channels and significantly improved her financial condition. After that, Anna Macdonald wrote a large number of books, successfully married and began to conduct active charity work with people who also have certain physical and mental disabilities. About her work, the writer says: “Of course, all disabled people can find their calling in life, for this they only need help to gain faith in themselves”

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 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 did he win the European championship in the 1500-meter freestyle, and at the Olympic Games he did not swim at all.
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.

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 deaf-blind people 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, became 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. Unfortunately, in our country it is customary to ignore people with disabilities and even pretend that they do not exist at all. Seeing a rare disabled person who dared to leave the house, many bashfully avert their eyes. The fact that these people can be full-fledged members of society is out of the question. However, we very much hope that this shameful situation for society will begin to change. Today we want to start small and invite you not to look away, but to look at the disabled and find out the stories of their lives, the fullness of which many people with “unlimited” physical abilities can envy.

Nick Vujicic 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.

17-year-old Kerry Brown is a carrier of Down syndrome. Not so long ago, thanks to the active support of my friends and the Internet, she became a model one of the American manufacturers of youth clothing. Kerry 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.

This true love story flew around 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 bride Kelly not only did not leave her beloved, but also helped him literally “get back on his feet”, even though he no longer has legs.

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.

New Zealander Mark Inglis in 2006 conquered Everest, twenty years before having lost both legs. 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.

6. 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.

7. Lizzie Velasquez

One not-too-beautiful day, Lizzie saw a video posted on the Internet called "The Most Terrible 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.

Of course, there are not seven of them. There are many more such people who have an incredible will to live and are able to infect others with it. And there are even more around us - people who really need to be finally noticed, and having noticed, they did not turn away with horror or disgust, but tried to help and support.