Faith can move mountains, and it can’t be more apt than in Vidisha Baliyan’s case. The 21-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar city has become the first Indian to win the Miss Deaf World 2019 crown. Helping this young woman achieve this feat was Paralympian Deepa Malik and her daughter, Devika, co-founders of the Wheeling Happiness Foundation.
The finals, held in Mbombela, South Africa, saw Vidisha take on 11 finalists from 16 participating countries to bag the title. A former international tennis player, Vidisha has represented India in the Deaflympics and won a silver medal. Vidisha shared her entire journey through the competition on Instagram with a heart-warming post:
“While being crowned as Miss Deaf World would be etched in my memory for lifetime, the win was extra special to me for many reasons. As a hearing-impaired child, from not hearing the doorbell to being ignored by people, I’ve seen it all. But after seeing a meteoric rise in my sports career as a tennis player who earned the 5th rank in ‘Deaflympics’, tennis became as important as breathing. And then life’s another blow - a severe back injury left my hopes fractured.
Unable to see a reason to live, I didn’t give up because of the strength my family gave me. And in time, I was shown another way - Miss Deaf India. A novice to the world of beauty and fashion, I learnt what was needed and won the title. I am blessed with a quality - if I put my mind to something then I don’t measure efforts or time, I give it my all. Whether it’s dancing, basketball, swimming, tennis or yoga, I never slack in my efforts.
Maybe as a disabled child I learnt to overcompensate by my hard work to overcome my ability to listen properly. By the grace of the universe, after the Miss Deaf India contest, we crossed paths with Wheeling Happiness, an NGO who empowers disabled people. Thank you to each person who contributed in this victory. The crown is ours.”
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