7 Famous People Who Overcame Adversity

‘Fall seven times, stand up eight’ is the most common proverb that may sound cliché but it is absolutely not.

Life can really be tough sometimes, but picking yourself up after several failures is the best thing one can do. ‘Fall seven times, stand up eight’ is the most common proverb that may sound cliché but it is absolutely not. Some people see their disabilities as a limitation, while some overcome those disabilities and set an example of opportunity. Sometimes failures and tragedies become a great motivation to succeed.

Below are some incredible stories that show how disabilities and setbacks can fuel your drive for success…

7) Bethany Hamilton – lost her arm when she was 13

Source = Thefamouspeople

Bethany Hamilton lost her when she was mere 13years old. The shark attack in Hawaii targeted Bethany, but this accident didn’t stop her though and she returned as the soul surfer just after 3 weeks of the attack. She is an American professional surfer who wrote about her experience in her autobiography - Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and fighting to Get back on the Board. Even today, she continues to share her story to the public so that people never give up. Bethany Hamilton overcame her adversity and continues to inspire everyone. (12.1)

6) Franklin D. Roosevelt - became partially paralyzed

Source = Netdna-cdn

United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt had contracted polio which left him half paralyzed when he was just 39. Even though he couldn’t walk, he led the country and still counted as the most respectable presidents in the history.FDR was the prominent and the honorable figure of the 20th century. He also holds the longest term of serving as the President from 1933 until his death in 1945.

5) Lord Nelson – lost his eyesight and arm

Lord Nelson – a popular British officer in the Royal Navy was one of the most respectable and the greatest commanders of his time. He was very daring and bold; he also suffered severe injuries and was blind in one eye. He continued to win the fights and wars until his death during a war in 1805.

4) Helen Keller

Source = List25

Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a college degree.

3) Marlee Matlin

Source = Afterellen

Do you know Marlee Matlin - one of the beautiful actresses is the only deaf performer to receive the award.

2) Richard Branson – Suffered Dyslexia

Source = Huffpost

According to the study, Richard Branson is the 12th richest person in the UK with worth 5.1 billion. Earlier, he was the below average student and did poorly on standardized tests because he had dyslexia. Interestingly, his headmaster told him either he would end up in jail or he would be a millionaire. And now he is not even a millionaire but a billionaire. But he successfully adapted his management style to his learning disability and built the Virgin Records. He is now the founder of the Virgin group which controls more than 400 companies.

1) Albert Einstein – he had a learning disability

Source = Huffpost

Do you know the genius Albert Einstein who is known for the theories of relativity didn’t talk until he was 3 years old? Right from his school days, he was counted as the lazy child and couldn’t impress his professors. Actually, he was not lazy but he was a boring child. When his fellow mates use to solve the questions he wonders about the things like why is sky blue and how light travels etc. He eventually overcame his adversity and developed a theory which still many of us can’t find confusing and hard to understand.