“It matters not how straight the gait, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate, I am the Captain of my soul”, words from the poem Invictus, defines the inspiring story of Malvika Iyer. A motivational speaker and activist now, Ms. Iyer lost both her hands after a freak accident when she was just 13. Though she traversed the long road to recovery, she didn’t just survive, she re-built her life in such a manner that she is now an inspiration to everyone.
The Inspiring Story of Malvika Iyer
The Accident
There had been a fire at an ammunition depot near-by, that left fragments everywhere, and a grenade landed up in her garage. A young child of 13, she unknowingly held the grenade in her hands, when it exploded. She lost both her hands and sustained severe injuries to her legs including paralysis of the nerves. For the first 6 months, she couldn’t walk and was confined to a wheelchair.
Recovery
After initially being confined to a wheelchair, she learnt how to walk again and use a pair of prosthetic hands. She finished her class 10 with the help of a writer, and went on to achieve a state rank, and even completed her PhD. Ms. Iyer proved that nothing is impossible if one puts their mind to it. One very significant factor which helped her in her recovery was self-love. She realized that until you loved and celebrated your life you would never get over the insecurities which surrounds any disability, be it physical or mental.
Achievements
Malvika, has given many TEDx talks, which were the beginning of many speeches and even more laurels. She was invited to the UN Headquarters and even to Co-Chair the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit in New Delhi.
Take Life with a Pinch of Salt
Malvika Iyer admits and accepts that her life has been a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs, and sudden twists and turns. She now stands up for people with disabilities and wants to change the way normal people look at the differently-abled ones. She believes in the philosophy, that being yourself is the greatest power you can have. What you look like or what you lack, doesn’t change that. A bad phase or a disability is just a chapter in your book, it is not the entire story. The only person you can write your happily ever after is .. YOU.
Image: The Better India
Read more: Be Fearless, Be Enigmatic; Never give up!
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