“I was determined to do all that my heart followed , that is why I am here"__ Vidisha Baliyan
Sounds of bells faded into a deafening silence . Cries of her parents rarely reached her. Voices didn’t exist in her system . She held deep seas of intense feelings to express but there was no vehicle that could carry her quiet musings to the real world……….
Vidisha Baliyan , the girl who defied destiny, was born with a severe hearing impairment, which came to her parents’ knowledge only when they sensed some problem with her hearing ability and took her to a doctor . Then she was 5 years old . Born to fighter parents, Mrs Deepshikha and Mr Vipin, Vidisha has been extremely blessed to get a very strong support system, that never failed to believe in her . She hails from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh .
Harsh Realities
The world isn’t always the way we want it to be. The entire basis of their existence changed . There was only one purpose of life for her parents. Unlike millions of people of their age, they had only one dream and it was to see Vidisha speak The reality was much rigid and bleak . Their dreams got demolished and fragmented, yet they stayed determined. Though in dire straits , they never lost their faith in the divine. The crux of the matter was that the society was too insensitive towards their worries. Vidisha became a subject of mockery by her classmates . They mimicked her faltering and flawed speech . Hearing aids became her best companions but there were times when she wished , the mechanical ears could filter the voices outside and bring in only that was pleasing . But this is life. The authority and austerity of life is not always easy to be accepted . There was no other way out left but to embrace the harsh realities as it was the last resort for her .
The challenge
Determined and dauntless, the family went ahead to the therapists and institutions. Practice, practice and practice followed by self motivation became the essence of Vidisha's race against her destiny .The sessions of speech therapy and the world of sign language welcomed her . There was a slim ray of hope that entered their lives and gradually the ray became a beam of belief. Months of hours long practice sessions , wrapped in their sweat, blood and tears soon became the story of a tiny success . She could speak with much clarity . The task was challenging but the hardwork and mounting patience of her parents paid back. Vidisha had a deep seated belief in her own self . She fought back , ignoring all the mockery that came her way .
“My journey has not been easy. My 100 percent hearing impairment in one ear and 90 percent in the other has made things more difficult. People would not like to have conversations with me."___ Vidisha Baliyan
Her parents got her admitted to MN public school, Muzaffarnagar. There things weren't easy. It was an extremely formidable task for her to match the pace of other students , who were normal.
“ I found it really hard to follow all that my teachers taught but gradually I started understanding by lipreading “
The Transformation
At 12 she discovered her keen interest in sports which brought her to the Basketball court. Apart from Basketball she had keen interest in Volleyball too. Everything was fine and favorable, except for her co- ordination with the team. The coach held an opinion that Vidisha had immense potential and stamina but she could perform much better in individual sport . She chose her way and driven by the spark within her, she stepped onto the courts of Lawn Tennis . She performed extremely well and her ardent fervor for the sport brought her to the skilful performance at tournaments. The story of Vidisha Baliyan took a U turn . She won silver medals at the national games in 2016. Representing India at Deaflympics in 2017 she has proved that there is light beyond a mess. However, future had to unfurl more surprises for her . Having severe back injury while preparing for the grand event, she was advised by her doctor to quit Lawn Tennis. Once again her world appeared to be full of dark clouds of doubts and despair but she didn’t stop there . It has been rightly said that the winners begin from the point where losers quit. She fell again but only to rise higher . Despite all the odds, she participated in the international Tennis tournament and represented India in 2017. The event was held in South Africa. She emerged out to be world top seed 5.
“I can never give up Lawn Tennis. I can definitely go on a short break “___ Vidisha Baliyan
She did it and nothing could stop her. She crossed the hurricanes and swam through the tornadoes to reach another beautiful junction of hopes and happiness . She had been always fascinated by beauty pageants and modeling and eventually pursued courses in modeling and physical education, both the streams, she is passionate about . While at rest , as advised by her doctor, she came across one beauty pageant for deafs. and went ahead with it. Supported by an organization,Wheeling Happiness and mentored by the globally acclaimed Pageant coach, Retd Lieutenant Rita Gangwani, she walked the ramp with her head held high in self confidence and she posed with her real smile .Enjoying each moment of the journey and remembering that everyone is unique, she rocked the show, coming out as the triumphant . Vidisha Baliyan was crowned as the first miss world deaf from India at 21 .
Vidisha is a passionate classical dancer
Her journey from the playgrounds ,echoing with piercing mimickeries to the world of pageantry is heartwarming . The Transformation from a turbulent past to a tranquil present is edifying.
Hearing impairment that occurs in infants is mostly incurable. There are various degrees of impairment, depending upon the loss of hearing expressed in dB . The category of impairment she suffers from makes speaking almost impossible but Vidisha proved all the theories wrong by her persistent efforts.
Vidisha Baliyan is a motivational speaker, a model, a sport woman and a Ted ex speaker .
Here's the link to the Podcast. Listen to the charismatic speaker,Vidisha Baliyan.
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Festive season is in the wind
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A must read .Check this out. Communication is always an interesting topic to read .
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