Ksenia Bezuglova was born in Russia in 1983. When she was in her early twenties, she was involved in a serious car accident and from then on, was confined to a wheelchair. She was pregnant at the time, and doctors recommended that she terminate the pregnancy. Ksenia refused and went on to have a healthy daughter.

 

She said later in an interview, that her pregnancy helped her get through the difficult initial time of adapting to life with a disability, that there was no time to think about what she had lost because the baby was still growing and evolving and needed her.

 

She returned to her work in the media for a large publishing house, and often went along to photo shoots. Every now and then she was enlisted as a model in front of the camera, and later, was asked to contribute to an international design competition called Bezgraniz Couture. This competition is for designers of adaptive clothing, that is, clothing especially designed for people in wheelchairs and living with disabilities.

 

She became the face of the competition and learned how to speak in front of an audience, gaining more and more self-confidence with every appearance.

 

In 2013, her sister entered her into Miss World, a beauty competition for women in wheelchairs. She took the title and went on to use her fame to promote the interests of disabled people in Russia. She is now a member of the Russian Guardianship Council for Social Issues, a motivational speaker and works hard to ensure that disabled people can be, and are perceived to be, full members of society.

 

Ksenia Bezuglova is a shining example of what it means to never give up. Even after suffering the consequences of a serious accident, she worked with her injuries, making the best of her situation. She said, “You just have to accept it with dignity, and without apology, to live happily ever after.”

 

 

Her daughter and family inspired her to get through the tough times, and later, the challenge of achieving equal rights for the disabled in Russia proved to be just as powerful a motivation.

 

What motivates you to keep going? What external forces will help keep you focussed on your goal? Having a passion for what you do will keep you on track. Having a mentor or teacher to guide you is always helpful. And having an important reason outside of yourself for doing what you do, such as providing for your family, or helping others achieve their dreams, will be the greatest motivator of all.

 

It’s important to remember that obstacles will always be put in your path. You can either use them as an excuse to give up or you can use them to forge a new path. You may not reach the goal in exactly the way that you planned, but you will achieve greatness if you keep on going.

 

Ksenia has some wise words for everyone seeking to achieve their dreams:

“Force yourself to enjoy life, to love peace, to love people and be sure to love yourself.”

 

 

 

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Doug Wright, is a transformed survivor of a head-on near death vehicle collision.

 

Passionate about helping people overcome their inner most fears, especially when recovering from trauma, Doug has survived to share his courageous story … his motto is “never give up”.

 

Away from his everyday activities, Doug invests his spare time playing his electric guitar, knocking out an eclectic mix of Eagles hits and fishing for coral trout in Airlee Beach, Northern Queensland.