Life is a roller coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs. Some live it fruitfully whereas some of them brood over the downs that they face. They say “when life gives you lemons make lemonade out of it”. It is actually true, to make best of even the worst situation. The only point to understand is to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t.
One such example is Nicholas James Vujicic born with no arms and limbs; a fighter, a warrior who overcame struggles of life and made a dent in the world.
Nicholas James Vujicic is a motivational speaker is a Serbian-Australian Christian. He is born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder called phocomelia. People with the disorder are born with no arms and legs. There are seven known individuals worldwide living with the syndrome and Nicholas James Vujicic is one of them.
All About Nick Vujicic
Nick Vujicic Wife and Children
Nick moved to California in 2006. In 2008, when he was in McKinney, Texas for a speech, he met the love of his life Kanae Miyahara, born in Mexico and based in Texas. Her father, a Japanese agricultural engineer and her Mexican mother were in the audience for Nick’s speech. She too had come to hear his speech and was hooked to his words. They dated for a couple months and said “I Do” on 12 February 2012. The lovely couple has maintained a picture-perfect relationship. They are blessed with four children- two boys named Dejan Levi Vujicic, Kiyoshi James Vujicic, and a set of twin girls namely Olivia Mei Vujicic, and Ellie Laurel Vujicic.
Nick Vujicic Family
Nicholas James Vujicic is the eldest son of Dusanka and Borislav Vujicic, Serbian immigrants from Yugoslavia. His parents are very pious Christians. He was born in on December 4, 1982, in Melbourne, Australia. At his birth, he was a healthy infant in all other aspects but was diagnosed with autosomal recessive tetra-amelia. It’s a very rare condition where the child is physically underdeveloped with no limbs at all, except for feet with just two toes.
Soon after his birth, his father moved out of the labor room when he saw his baby without hands and legs. He said, “I cannot see this baby”. His mother realized something was wrong, so she asked the nurse and the nurse held him in front of his mother. As soon as Nick’s mother saw him, she refused to even see him or hold him. Eventually both his parents understood and accepted this condition considering it as “God’s plan for their son”. They started giving him a normal life. When he was just 18 months old, his father taught him to swim.
Nick has two other siblings named Aaron Vujicic and Michelle Vujicic
Nick Vujicic Life Story
Vujicic has two small and misshapen feet and calls one of it “chicken drumstick” for its shape. He was originally born with little shapeless toes that were separated with an operation so that it could be used as fingers to perform various tasks. Today, he can write, swim, and work his electric wheel-chair, type 45 words per minute, play Golf, kick tennis balls really far, answer the phone, grab things, turn pages etc.
At first, it was quite hard for Nick and his parents had to cope with the difficulties that accompanied his deformities. Even though his IQ was normal he wasn’t permitted to study in a normal school. Gradually he started using his feet bit by bit to write, type, play and shave. He completed his secondary education in Queensland, Australia from the Runcorn State High School.
All through his childhood, during school in his adolescence, Nick had to deal not just with the typical tasks but was bullied enough to suffer self-esteem issues. He struggled with depression and loneliness and often questioned on his difference from all the other kids. He couldn’t get rid of the haunting thought of “Why was I the one born without arms and legs?”
Even with all these hardships and bullying, Vujicic says he had an amazingly normal childhood.
Vujicic blossomed in his teenage and early adult years in spite of being bullied. Vujicic tried to commit suicide but his mother showed him an article about a man in the newspaper who dealt with a severe disability. This encouraged him and learned to deal with his disability. At 12 years of age, when he was in the seventh grade, he was elected as the school captain; also he was a part of the student council that supported humanitarian work. He participated actively in giving charity and raising funds.
Gradually, he began to accomplish more on his own.His high school janitor motivated him to start public talks about overcoming the hardship of life caused by his disability. So,at 17 Nick began his journey by talking to small groups of students.After completing high school, he took up tertiary education at Griffith University in Logan, Australia. By 19 years of age, he had devoted his time to study Accounting and Financial Planning at Griffith University and graduated with a double Bachelor’s degree. He also developed an interest to pursue a career as a motivational speaker where he could share his struggles of overcoming adversity. He believed in the God’s message of love and encouragement. He believed that each of our struggles has a purpose behind it, whether we triumph over them or not depends upon how we face them.Nick began to fulfill his dream by encouraging people with motivational speeches about his life story. He realized that his life story is inspiring many people. This gave his life a purpose to exist.
Achievements of Nick Vujicic
Even with the serious disability that Nick faces, he didn’t lose hopes. His hardship didn’t draw him back from being a dreamer and achieving something. In fact he has achieved so much that the whole world knows him, he has met the top personalities of the world, and has spread his message throughout the world.
- Nick is very well-known for his organization, ‘Life Without Limbs’, that organizes events and gives talks on overcoming any adversity of life with courage and faith in God
- In 1990, Vujicic’s courage and determination impressed the world so much that he was felicitated with the ‘Australian Young Citizen Award’.
- In 2001he became a motivational speaker and an evangelist
- Between 2003 and 2005 Nick travelled the world, and held his motivational talks inspiring and evangelizing the students, business leaders, church groups, charity organization where he made charity and the presidents of big and small countries all over the world.
- In 2005 he was one among the nominees for the ‘Young Australian of the Year Award’
- In 2005 a short film “Life’s Greater Purpose,” that documented Nick’s life released,
- In 2008 he was interviewed by Bob Cummings for the TV series 20/20’aired in the United States
- In 2010, at the ‘Method Fest Independent Film Festival,’he received’Best Actor in Short Film’ award for his performance in the role of Will in the movie ‘The ButterflyCircus’. It wasdirected by Joshua Weigel and starred Mexican actor Eduardo Verástegui, and American actor Doug Jones.
- In 2010 he won an award for the Best Short Film at the Feel Good Film Festival
- In 2010 he Launched a project named “Something More” in collaboration with Tyrone Wells
- In 2011 he promoted the Year End Appeal
- In 2012 he Launched 2013 World Outreach Campaign
- In 2012 he launched a DVD Pain to Promise / Plant Seeds
- In 2013 he launched a campaign against bullying “Bullying – Stop the Epidemic”
- When he was 17 he started a foundation“Without Limbs Foundation” to spread his message to millions.In 2011 he went on a “Life without Limbs World Tour” including Kenya and Korea. He metwith thePresidents of countries, corporate leaders, spiritual leaders, and many schools. He once had a talk at the L.A. Dodgers Stadium and filled the entire stadium with over 100,000 people that arrived to hear him speak of hope, love, and inspiration.
Nick Vujicic – The Author
Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker, a Christian evangelist has brought enormous impact in the lives of the people that are facing hardships. Millions of people are inspired by him not just from his speeches but also through his books.
The first ever book written by Vujicic is Life without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life. It was published in 2010 by Random House. The book has been translated into over 30 languages. In 2005 Vujicic filmed a short film, a documentary named Life’s Greater Purpose. It is a motivational DVD. The sequel of the DVD was filmedin Brisbane at the local church. The DVD titled No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!Is primarily for young people.
The list of books written and published by Vujicic-
- Your Life Without Limits in 2012
- Limitless: Devotions for a Ridiculously Good Life in 2013
- Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action in 2013
- The Power of Unstoppable Faith in 2014
- Stand Strong in 2015
- Love Without Limits in 2016
- Be the Hands and Feet: Living Out God’s Love for All His Children, published in February 13, 2018
NickVujicic facts
Nick Vujicic is a name that the whole world knows. His work, his career, his achievements and his entire is transparent to the people. Yet, there are some interesting personal facts that not many know.
1. In 2011, Nick proposed his love to Kanae, now his wife, when they were on a yacht in Santa Barbara. Being deprived of hands and legs didn’t stop him from placing the ring. He put the ring on Kanae’s finger with his mouth
2. His first step into the business world business was when he was only 17, with a nonprofit organization named“Life without Limbs”.
3. Nick can in fact hold his breath for a longer time than any average person i.e. for two minutes, 13 seconds.
4. Things like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol hits Nick twice as hard because of having only half volume blood in his body
5. In 2011 Nick has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
6. Nick keeps a pair of shoes in his closet, for he believes in miracles and says one never knows what God is planning, anything could happen.
Net Worth of Nick Vujicic
Nick, runs an NGO, ‘Life Without Limbs’ that aims at helping people overcome hardships in their lives, has an estimated net worth of 500,000 dollars.
Nick believes in Jesus Christ and often says “faith transforms one’s life” and says “everything that he has achieved is only because of the blessings of God”
