The life story of Nick Vujicic. Nick Vujicic: biography, personal life, family, interesting facts, quotes

You've probably heard about a man like Nick Vujicic, he has neither arms nor legs, but he is strong in spirit! Incredible human endurance and desire to live a full life helped Nick find a family and help other people!

Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs. When the father saw how a shoulder without an arm appeared from the womb of his wife, he could not stand it and ran out of the family room. When the doctor came out to him, he rushed to him and asked: “My son doesn’t have an arm?” The doctor replied that he had neither arms nor legs. It took the mother 4 months to come to her senses; she could not hold the child in her arms or put him to her breast.

Nick always tried to be an ordinary child and rejected any help. He has a semblance of a foot instead of a left note. Thanks to her, he learned to walk, which everyone could not believe for a long time. Nick learned to jump into the water and swim, lie on his stomach on a skateboard and push off with his left foot, write with a pen and use a computer.

However, at the age of eight, Nick almost gave up. School ridicule brought him down, and he decided to commit suicide. He said he wanted to sit in the water and tried to drown himself. He was stopped by the thought that his parents loved him and he loved them. Since then, his motto has been “Never give up!”

At the age of 19, while he was studying at the university, he was asked to speak to students. 7 minutes were allotted for the performance, however, after 3, the entire audience was sniffling. Nick talked about how every human being has value. At the end of the performance, a girl came up to him and asked him to hug him. Then she burst into tears on his shoulder and said that no one had ever told her that he loved her, that he had saved her life.

Since then, he has performed 250 times a year. He was invited to schools, nursing homes, and prisons. He became a professional speaker. He traveled to 44 countries, met with seven presidents, spoke from the rostrum in five parliaments, and in India gathered his largest stadium - 110 thousand people!

One of his hardest lessons is to laugh when it's hard. He calls his heel a ham, when children on the streets ask: “What happened to you?”, he answers in a hoarse voice: “It’s all because of cigarettes!”

Nick always ends his speeches with the words: “Sometimes you can fall, like this,” and falls on his face. - “In life, it happens that you fall, and it seems that you no longer have the strength to get up. Then you wonder: do you have hope? But know that failure is not the end!”

Today Nick lives in California, and on February 12, 2012, he married the beautiful Kanae Miahara. His life is full of both work and relaxation - in his free time from lectures and writing, Nick plays golf, likes to fish and surf.

And on February 14, an absolutely incredible event happened: Nick and his wife Kanae had a son, Kiesha James Vujicic, which the happy father announced on his Facebook page.

"Thank you all so much for your love and prayers! Kieshi James Vujicic - weight 8 lbs 10 oz (3 kg 600 g), height 21 ¾ inches (53 cm). Mom Kanae is doing great,” Nick wrote. Even before the birth of his son Nick wrote that his wife’s pregnancy was going well and an ultrasound showed that the child was completely healthy: “Ten fingers and ten toes!” the future father rejoiced.

His formula for happiness can be summed up in 12 rules. 12 tips learned over 33 years of life as a millionaire who doesn't even have fingerprints and gives lectures about 250 times a year!

1. Don’t lose hope, it conquers death

I used to worry that I would never have a wife, that I would never, ever be able to have children in my life. But now I have a wife, Kanae, and two wonderful sons - three years and eight months. The eldest, Kiyoshi is already taller than me. I used to worry that I would never be able to hold my wife’s hand, that I would not be able to hug my children when they were feeling bad. But now Kiyoshi is hugging me. He says “high five” and hits me on the shoulder. Now I realize that it doesn't matter if I can hold Kanae's hand, as long as I always hold her heart.

2. If it doesn’t work, try again. Do the best you can

I was surfing in Hawaii one day. Everyone on the beach looked - a man without arms, without legs wants to ride! I was lying on the board and people were pushing me onto the wave. My friends placed a stack of towels on the board for me to lean on and lift myself up. I tried to get up 15 times. And nothing worked for me.

But my parents taught me: if something doesn’t work out, try again. If something doesn't work out, it doesn't mean you're a failure. If others see your failure, do not humiliate yourself. It's okay if you can't do something. It's okay if you don't have everything. But you can strive for it.

And I tried again and again to get on the board. And you know, when I finally got up, I thought: “Oh God, what should I do now!?”

3. Don’t limit your own joy

Many people do not enjoy life simply because they limit it. You've probably seen a video on YouTube about how I like to joke on airplanes. Sometimes I ask to be put in the carry-on luggage rack. And once I took a pilot’s suit from my friend, he works for a commercial airline, and met passengers in this suit. You should have seen their faces!

Remember, sometimes circumstances dictate what you have, but what you have should not determine the joy within you. Don't let people's opinions or events bring you down.

4. Don't be afraid of hard work

They tell me that you are from Australia. But even there, not everything is paved with gold. When my parents moved from Yugoslavia, they only had clothes. Only the one they were wearing. They worked hard. And I was always told to do this.

I was not allowed to be a “bad” boy. They didn't give me money for toys. I had to earn them. I vacuumed the house for two dollars a week. And then he was free to decide what to do with this money - buy toys or give to the poor.

5. Be grateful for what you have

Being grateful to your family is just the beginning. I love my “leg” very much. Just because I don't have arms and legs doesn't mean I can be depressed. Thanks to my small leg I can swim, I have been diving. I even jumped with a parachute.

Yes, when I went to school and everyone teased me, it was very difficult to be grateful. But then I realized that everyone has problems. And perhaps having an alcoholic father is worse than not having arms and legs. We must give thanks for what we have and pray for those who cannot.

6. Hit the ball before it hits you.

Once I was playing football with my friend. He warned me that he would kick me now so that I would have time to get ready. And then I see the ball flying towards me. And I don't know how to fight back. I want to hit the ball before it hits me. I think - with my head, but it’s too low for my head. Kick? But I won't get it. And then everything was like in “The Matrix” - a slow motion effect. I jump, hit the ball and seriously injure my leg. I can't walk for three weeks. And when I was lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling, then for the first time I thought: “So this is how disabled people feel.”

7. Go to the goal

There were two people who inspired me to perform. The first is Philip, he could not walk or talk. He had osteomyelitis (this is when the body shuts down in parts). He was 25 years old when we met. He made a website and tried to inspire people, restore their faith in life.

And the second person is a janitor at the school. He said, “You will be a speaker and tell people your story.” I want you to know that it was old man, and I respected him. But I had no intention of becoming a speaker. I was going to be an accountant. But he told me this every day for three months.

In the end, I agreed to speak. Then I realized that I could inspire people too. It doesn't matter who you are, whether you walk or talk, there is a purpose in your life.

8. Don't invest happiness in temporary things, otherwise it will be temporary.

My father said - you have to work. But try to get people to work for you. You will have to pay them for doing for you what you cannot. You have responsibility for yourself.

And I feel this responsibility. I am complete, I have arms and legs, I know my purpose. I have peace, strength and truth. I don't need money, power, drugs, alcohol or pornography to feel happy. These are temporary things and happiness from them cannot last long.

9. Accept yourself for who you are

Girls, you don't need a new pair of shoes to be happy. You don't need a boyfriend to be happy. Look for a husband who will love you, and when difficulties begin, he will not leave.

Guys think you have to swear sometimes to be cool. Or build bigger biceps. But my biceps were so big that they fell off.

Understand that the pain and dissatisfaction you feel was given to you by the devil. But even from your broken pieces, God can make something beautiful. The main thing is to accept yourself, understand who you are and what you want.

10. Dream and your dreams will come true

Just because we don't believe in something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. But if we never think about something, then we are not looking for it. If we don't look, we won't find it. If we don't find it, it means we'll never get it. It's simple.

Dreams become reality, miracles become reality. I'm not saying it's simple. For example, I will never become a football player. But I can be a happy person. Happiness was written in my future. I believe in it.

11. Focus on what you can do

I asked nine-year-old children: “Have you ever been stressed?” And they said yes. Hard homework, bad teacher. I asked 13-year-olds. They said that everything annoyed them - friends, parents, their own changing body. When I was 17, people told me they were stressed about finishing school. “If I go to university, everything will be fine,” they said. But nothing changed. Then they will say: “If only I had found a job...”. And at work they will be annoyed by their boss. All unmarried people think that they are not happy because they have to find a husband or wife. “When I find myself a husband, everything will be wonderful!”

Noooo!

If you are not happy without your husband, then you will not be happy with him. Focus on what you already have. On what you can do now. Don't wait for your husband, your job, or the end of your exams to do what makes you happy!

12. Make good choices, they produce good results.

The decisions I made before immobilized me. I thought: “You have no arms and legs, no one except your parents loves you, you are a burden for everyone, there will be no job, no wife, no purpose.”

But believe that God has a plan for you. If he has a plan for the armless and powerless Nick Vujicic, then rest assured, he has one for you too.

If you haven't received a miracle yourself, become a miracle for someone else. After all, in the end, time and love are the two main currencies. Every day answer yourself the question: who are you and what do you want? Do what you can. Remember the poor. Pray. Inspire.

Thank you!

Nick said all this from the stage. He was brought to the podium in a wheelchair, he was taken away from there in a wheelchair. But the whole hall froze from his courage and sincerity. The whole audience laughed at his jokes about his knees shaking before a parachute jump, about “not feeling my legs” when he met his wife, about his hands sweating from excitement before the most important thing. football match in his life. There was a standing ovation. And then they let all the wheelchair users go forward for a “hug” with the legend.

For people born without limbs, there was only one way - to the circus.
Now this is not the case, but despite new technological capabilities, the life of such people is extremely difficult. What’s especially offensive is absolutely healthy people They ruin their lives without feeling what a blessing it is to be born full-fledged.

The name of this genetic disorder syndrome comes from the Greek "tetra", meaning "four", and "amelia" (accent on the penultimate syllable), meaning "absence of a limb".

My parents knew even before I was born that I would not have three limbs. They gave me life. It’s just a miracle that the Lord allowed me to pass on this gift further,” says 24-year-old Melek from Denmark.
She has no legs or right arm, but she gave birth and is now raising a son.

“Mehmet goes to work, and I take care of my son and cook. The only thing I can’t do myself is wash Seimi - it’s hard to keep him.”
She met her future husband Mehmet in the company of friends.
“I had a lot of girls,” says Mehmet. “But I didn’t love anyone as much as Melek.” Many people advised me to leave her, but I am ready to kill for such words.

Wendy was born without arms and legs due to the medications her mother took during her pregnancy.
She went to a regular school where she wrote with her mouth. She made her first real friend at the age of 13.
She learned to drive a car with a control panel modified especially for her.

Wendy is a 31-year-old woman from Los Angeles who lives with her husband Anthony and their two children. The eldest son, Kaylin, is 6 years old, and the youngest son, Jeremy, is 8 months old.
All her life, Wendy knew that her disability would not stand in the way of her dreams.

Wendy uses her shoulder and lower torso to move. She also has an electric wheelchair with a joystick control at shoulder level.

Little Peruvian Jovana Yumbo Ruiz was born with a rare syndrome - tetra-amelia, i.e. without limbs.
Her parents live in a small, poor village in the Peruvian hinterland.

But, thanks to the fact that her story was shown on television, doctors in the capital became interested in her case, and now the girl is in the medical adaptation center in Lima.

Despite her illness, the girl remains cheerful and the smile never leaves her face. She presses a pencil with her cheek to her shoulder and draws, eats with a spoon, and knows how to take toys with her mouth. The girl has developed amazing flexibility in her back and neck; she can move quite quickly and deftly across the floor.
Dr. Luis Rubio intends to perform an operation to implant a bionic arm into the girl, which could be controlled by transmitting signals from the pectoral muscles.

Even healthy children are not always able to master a musical instrument. 14-year-old girl Veronica Lazareva, who was born without arms and legs, succeeded in a short time.

She independently turns on the instrument and sings in a clear and gentle voice, accompanying herself.
On Veronica's desk there is a solfeggio notebook with carefully written notes. The young singer writes, holding a pen in her mouth.

“Chelninskiye Izvestia” talked about this courageous girl many times. Veronica lived in the Children's Home and once under New Year wrote a letter to Santa Claus that she really wanted to live in a family where she would be loved. And a miracle happened!

Having accidentally seen a photograph of Veronica in our newspaper, her mother Tatyana Lazareva, who by this time had married for the second time and gave birth to a son, immediately recognized her daughter in the girl. She left Veronica in the maternity hospital on the advice of doctors who were sure that the child would not survive. She went to the Children's Home to hug her and never let her go.

Rosemary was born with a severe genetic disease: hypoplasia.
The girl's legs were severely deformed and insensitive, her feet pointed in different directions. Rose's legs could have gotten tangled somewhere and she could have cut them and burned them. When Rose was two years old, her mother decided to amputate the girl's legs. So Rose, the half-girl, began a relatively normal life.

“Imagine Barbie whose legs were torn off. This will be me. Almost normal, only a little shorter - missing 4 vertebrae.

My parents made the right decision - I can't imagine my life in wheelchair. There were pros and cons.
I'm glad my legs were cut off. In general, it’s easier for me to walk on my hands - it’s almost like walking on my feet.”

At school they tried to force her to walk on artificial legs, a time she remembers with a shudder.

She moves on her hands and on a skateboard.
“School was a nightmare. They wanted to fit everyone to the same standard and appearance and forced me to walk on false legs. Terrible.

In 9th grade, my patience ran out and I decided to be myself. I rode a skateboard to school, climbed onto a chair, and all the students stared at me. I was terribly proud that I dared.

Rosemary met her future husband, Dave Siggins, at work. Dave worked in a parts store, Rose worked in a car repair shop. At first they talked on the phone for a long time, joked, even flirted.

Rose really liked him and they became friends. Dave was more than just a friend to her, but she couldn't take the first step on her own. And Dave took the first step. Not just a first step, but an offer on state television.

Nicholas Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia, into a family of Serbian emigrants. Mother is a nurse. Father is a pastor.

At first, the mother could not bring herself to take her son in her arms. “I had no idea how I would take the child home, what to do with him, how to take care of him,” recalls Duska Vujicic.

Nick has a semblance of a foot instead of a left leg. Thanks to this, the boy learned to walk, swim, skateboard, play on the computer and write. The parents managed to get their son into a regular school.

At the age of eight, Nicholas decided to drown himself in the bathtub. He asked his mother to take him there.
“I turned my face into the water, but it was very difficult to hold on. Nothing worked.

Now he has learned to swim!

At nineteen, Nick studied financial planning at university.
He wrote a book about his life while typing 43 words per minute on a computer. In between work trips, he fishes, plays golf and surfs.

“I don’t always get up in the morning with a smile on my face. Sometimes my back hurts,” says Nick, “But because there is great strength in my principles, I continue to take small steps forward, baby steps.”

Ten months a year he is on the road, two months at home. He traveled to more than two dozen countries, more than three million people heard him - in schools, nursing homes, and prisons.
It happens that Nick speaks in stadiums with thousands of seats. He performs about 250 times a year.
Nick receives about three hundred offers for new performances a week. He became a professional speaker.

“Last year I met people who had a son without arms and legs. The doctors said: “He will be a plant for the rest of his life. He won’t be able to walk, study, won’t be able to do anything.” And suddenly they found out about me and met me in person - another person like him. And they had hope."

“It happens in life that you fall, and it seems you have no strength to get up. You wonder then if you have hope... I have neither arms nor legs! It seems that even if I try to get up a hundred times, I won’t be able to. But after another defeat, I don’t give up hope. I will try again and again. I want you to know that failure is not the end. What matters is how you finish. Are you going to finish strong? Then you will find the strength to rise up - in this way.”

He leans his forehead, then helps himself with his shoulders and stands up.
The women in the audience begin to cry.

Faith is an upright walking dog.
The dog was born without front legs, but learned to walk perfectly on its hind legs - like a human.

Faith now visits orphanages and hospitals to inspire people without limbs.

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Nikolai Vujicic is a very famous preacher in America... He was born in Melbourne in 1982 into a family of Serbian emigrants, very religious people... He was born without arms and legs. A son without limbs was not what nurse Duska Vujicic and pastor Boris Vujicic expected...

Many people are very worried about such things as a too big nose, protruding ears, an ugly mole, too tall or short... There are a lot of complexes that serve as fertile ground for all kinds of disorders and even depression. Now imagine how a young, handsome, 26-year-old guy who was born without arms and without legs might feel...

"How often do you use your arms and legs?" - Nick asks this question, testifying about his life. In principle, he does not expect an answer - this is just a call to think... He himself has adapted to live independently in this world - he turns on the light, shave, comb his hair, opens the water tap, uses the phone, drives the stroller...

Particularly striking is Nick’s ability and love for various types sports - he swims in the pool...

Nick operates a computer keyboard, typing 43 words per minute! His favorite quick typing combination on the keyboard is heel-toe. In addition, Nick learned to write and draw, acquired the specialty of a financier, having graduated from the corresponding educational institution. But all this did not come immediately. There were years of despair and sadness when Nick wondered, "Why Me?" .... and received no response.

Today, at the age of 26, this limbless guy has achieved more than most people twice his age. Nick recently moved from Brisbon, Australia to California, USA, where he is president of a charity. In addition, he has his own company called "Attitude Is Altitude".

"People say to me, 'How can you smile?'" Nick says. Then they realize that "there must be something more than what meets the eye for a guy with no arms or legs to live longer." life to the fullest than me." Nick talks to his audience about the importance of having a vision and dreaming big. Using his own experiences around the world as an example, he challenges others to consider their perspectives and look beyond their circumstances .

He shares his perspective on how to stop looking at obstacles as a problem and instead start seeing them as an opportunity for growth, how to influence others... He emphasizes the importance of our attitude and how it is the most powerful tool that is at our disposal; and also shows how the choices we make can have a big effect on our lives and the lives of those around us.

Having been born without arms and legs, Nick Vujicic proved that even in this situation one can enjoy life and not blame others for one’s problems. Today he is a successful motivational speaker, preacher and happy husband and father.

Do you have complexes about freckles, an unslim figure, hairstyle or an overly large nose? So you don't know who Nick Vujicic is. This strong man, born without legs and arms, at almost 40 years old he can skateboard, surf, use a computer and write books. It is enough to see the photo to understand that it is not in vain that he teaches people to be strong, to live and enjoy what is happening. His life has everything: family happiness, love and his favorite business.

Terrible diagnosis

The famous Australian motivational speaker, philanthropist, writer and singer was born into the family of Serbian emigrants Boris and Duska Vujicic. From birth, the child received a genetic pathology called tetra-amelia.

Tetra-amelia syndrome (autosomal recessive tetra-amelia) is a rare congenital disease that is inherited. Characterized by the absence of four limbs. Other organs of the body are subject to cumulative deviations in normal development. The diagnosis of the disease is associated with a mutation of the WNT3 gene (Wikipedia).

The child born into the family of a preacher did not have full arms and legs. His body had an element resembling a foot with fused toes. After surgery and separation of the membrane of skin between his fingers, the boy was able to not only move, write, and work on a computer, but also mastered several sports:

• Surfing.
• Swimming.
• Skateboard.

Childhood and youth

Figure 1. Childhood

The child attended primary school in special school for invalids. However, on the initiative of his parents, he was transferred to a regular one. An attempt to use prosthetic body parts did not bring success - they turned out to be too heavy. Around this period, the boy underwent surgery, which revealed his uncontrollable character and great desire for life.

After finishing school, Nicholas Vujicic entered Brisbane Griffith University, after graduating from which he continued his undergraduate studies. Already at the age of 21, the guy became a Bachelor of Commerce in the field of accounting and financial management.

Death or full life: a fateful choice

According to Nick himself, the most important event that happened in his biography occurred at the age of ten. One evening the boy asked his mother to fill the bathtub for him to wash himself. Once in the water, the child asked Dushka to leave him to lie down. Nick, full of despair, decided to use this moment to take his own life.

“I tried to turn my face into the water, but it was hard to stay in that position. Nothing worked for me. But in a short time I very clearly imagined the picture of my funeral - here are my dad and mom... And then I realized that I couldn’t hurt them, I couldn’t kill myself. After all, all I saw from my parents was great love for me.”

From that moment on, his story incredible life transformed and became confirmation that a person without arms and legs can achieve incredible, amazing heights that are inaccessible to some full-fledged men.

First confessions

Figure 2. The main thing is that he likes what he does

Faith in God, a strong will to live, a unique mindset became the reason that even at school Nick Vujicic realized that if he was able to learn everything he could, then such results were also possible for other people who found themselves in difficult situations. life situation. So, at the age of 17, the guy gave his first motivational speech.

The success achieved after the first speech with a short story of his life became the reason for the subsequent meeting. Thus, Nick Vujicic began his “preaching” activities, which led to the opening of the non-profit organization “Life without Limbs”, aimed at charity and rehabilitation of disabled people around the world.

Charitable organization "Life without limbs"

The main motto of Nick Vujicic’s charity organization “Life without limbs” is the phrase that people who are different in body structure are normal. As an example, he gives a story from his childhood, retelling the words his mother said to him at the age of ten: “You should play with normal children, because you are normal. Yes, you are missing something, but it’s nothing.”

Also one of the key principles of its happy life Nick Vujicic names several of the following conditions as motivation for new members of the organization:

• Sincerity.
• Interest.
• Desire to help.

According to Nicholas, it is in these principles, confirmed by actions, that the strength of human existence now lies.

Regarding pity, it is expressed in the following words: “A useless feeling that sows helplessness around. A person needs to be loved, not pitied. Pity makes us victims, we begin to think like a victim. Everyone around becomes guilty, everyone around should... Subsequently, such a person will grow into an irresponsible coward. Pity humiliates.”

Books by Nick Vujicic

Figure 3. Presentation of the book in Russia

Nick Vujicic's first book was published in 2010, it was called “Life without Limbs.” The entire bibliography of this unique and, as he calls himself - happy person, has 5 works:

• “Life Without Borders: The Path to an Amazingly Happy Life” (2010).
• “Unstoppable. The incredible power of faith in action" (2013).
• "Stay strong. You can overcome violence" (2014).
• "Love without borders. The path to amazingly strong love" (2015).
• “Limitless. 50 Lessons That Will Make You Outrageously Happy" (2016).

Personal life

Figure 4. Nick Vujicic's family

Nick spoke about his future soulmate in these words: “I understand that I don’t have the hands to hold my wife’s hand, but when the time comes, I will be able to hold her heart!”

He turned out to be right: after moving to the USA, Nick met a girl, Kanae Miyahara. In February 2012, they got married, and exactly a year later, the wife gave birth to their eldest son, Kiyoshi James Vujicic.

After 2 years, another son was born, named Deyan Levi, and on December 20, 2017, Kanae gave birth to twins - twin girls Olivia and Ellie. All children are healthy and have no physiological or other abnormalities.

An example worthy of emulation

Figure 5. In his spare time, Nick enjoys playing golf.

Nick overcame a colossal number of barriers and obstacles, starting with relationships with classmates and ending with his own psychological preparation. Today, those whom he invites to his performances are not at all associated with him by any physiological defect. Many listeners are completely healthy people who want to see this unique American (Nick accepted American citizenship and lives there today with his family) and learn from his story something that can motivate them to personal or other changes.

Regarding how he himself feels about his disability, one can answer a brief retelling excerpt from one of his autobiographical works. It contains lines that explain this essence.

Nick Vujicic accepted his essence as a disabled person, won a psychological victory, and now he laughs in her face, showing various “tricks” from the stage that many healthy people cannot repeat. He meets every challenge of fate and new life difficulties with his inherent sense of humor, inspiring with his perseverance and faith all those who are nearby.

Such a desire to overcome obstacles and a love of life, manifested in his image, can challenge any person, directing him towards the realization of his most cherished desires and goals. Statistics show that it is enough to see and hear his speech once, how your attitude towards life will change and your life values ​​will be reassessed.