Jump to content

Nick Vujicic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 110.142.117.171 (talk) at 06:04, 30 January 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nick Vujicic
Vujicic speaking at a school in Florida in November 2015
Born
Nicholas James Vujicic

(1982-12-04) 4 December 1982 (age 41)
Melbourne, Australia
BildungBachelor's degrees in accounting and financial planning
Alma materGriffith University
Occupation(s)Evangelist, motivational speaker
SpouseKanae Miyahara (m. 2012)
Children2
Websitelifewithoutlimbs.org

Nicholas James "Nick" Vujicic (/ˈvuːjiːtʃiːtʃ/ VOO-yee-cheech;[1] Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [ʋûjitʃitɕ]); born 4 December 1982[2]) is a Serbian-Australian Christian evangelist and motivational speaker born with Phocomelia,[3] a rare disorder characterised by the absence of all four limbs. As a child, he struggled mentally and emotionally as well as physically, but eventually came to terms with his disability. He presents motivational speeches worldwide which focus on life with a disability and finding hope and meaning in life.

During secondary school, Vujicic was elected captain of Runcorn State High School in Queensland and worked with the student council on fundraising events for local charities and disability campaigns. When he was seventeen, he started to give talks at his prayer group[4] and later founded his non-profit organisation, Life Without Limbs.

Vujicic has written that he keeps a pair of shoes in his closet due to his belief in miracles.[5] In 1990 he won the Australian young citizen award for his bravery and perseverance. In 2005 he was nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award.[6]

Bildung

Vujicic graduated from Griffith University at the age of 21 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a double major in accountancy and financial planning. Subsequently he became a motivational speaker, travelling internationally and focusing on teenage problems. Having addressed over three million people in almost 57 countries on five continents,[7] he speaks to corporate audiences, congregations and schools.

Ministry

After begging God to grow arms and legs, Vujicic eventually began to realise that his accomplishments were inspirational to many and began to thank God for being alive. A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability. This led him to realise he was not the only one with major struggles. When he was seventeen, he started to give talks.

Career

Vujicic speaking during the session "Inspired for a Lifetime" at the Annual Meeting 2011 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on 30 January 2011

Vujicic promotes his work through television shows and through his writing. His first book, Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life, was published by Random House in 2010. He markets a motivational DVD, Life's Greater Purpose, a short documentary filmed in 2005. The second part of the DVD was filmed at his local church in Brisbane – one of his first professional motivational speeches. He markets a DVD for young people titled No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!.[8]

In March 2008, Vujicic was interviewed by Bob Cummings for the 20/20 American television show.

Vujicic starred in the short film The Butterfly Circus, which won the Doorpost Film Project's top prize of 2009.[9] In 2010, the film also won two awards as the Best Short Film at the 2010 Method Fest Independent Film Festival. At the same film festival, he was awarded Best Actor in Short Film for his starring performance as Will.[10] Butterfly Circus also won the best short film award at The Feel Good Film Festival in Hollywood in 2010.[11]

Vujicic is a motivational speaker with TED.[12][13]

Private life

Vujicic's parents were born in Serbia; his father Borislav Vujičić left in 1969, his mother Dušanka in 1964.[14]

On 12 February 2012, Vujicic married Kanae Miyahara. Their first son, Kiyoshi James, was born in 2013, while a second, Dejan Levi, was born in August 2015.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bio - Life Without Limbs". Life Without Limbs. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Life Without Limbs: About Nick Vujicic". Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  3. ^ Born without arms and legs at BBC; published 23 February 2011; retrieved 18 November 2015
  4. ^ Riley, Jennifer (30 March 2008). "Limbless Evangelist Preaches Joy in Christ". Christian Post Reporter. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Nick Vujicic: Never Miss an Opportunity to Act Upon Your Faith | Gospelherald.net-Chinese Christian News Online". Gospelherald.net. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  6. ^ Mathur, Aditi (19 February 2012). "An Inspiration: Man Without Limbs; Orator-Author Nick Vujicic Enjoys Beach Honeymoon in Hawaii". International Business Times. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Attitude is Altitude: No Arms, No Legs, No Worries". Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  8. ^ "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!". Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Butterfly Circus Wins The Doorpost Film Project's $100,000 First Prize". Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  10. ^ "2010 Method Fest, Independent Film Festival, Calabasas, California". Methodfest.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Disabled World Towards Tomorrow". Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  12. ^ Nick Vujicic on TED, YouTube.
  13. ^ The Star
  14. ^ "Roditelji Nika Vujičića u Beogradu: Drago nam je što smo u zemlji naših predaka".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nick Vujicic.

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nick_Vujicic&oldid=702381157"