BREAKING BARRIERS – TOUCHING LIVES

Born six weeks premature in Saginaw, Michigan. Steveland Hardaway Judkins “Stevie Wonder” had experienced stunted growth of blood vessels to the back of his eyes, leaving him permanently blind. However this wasn’t enough to deter him. Since 1961, the visually impaired 11-year-old musical prodigy auditioned for Motown Records, Stevie Wonder has composed a catalog of unmatched love, compassion, justice and unity — and his instrumental virtuosity fills dance floors to this day and continues to elevate us to higher ground.

As a child, Richard Branson struggled greatly with dyslexia and was a high school dropout— and now he’s the billionaire pioneer of a global corporation. In spite of the challenges that faced him, he stuck to his guns and transformed his struggles into strengths. Today he’s a billionaire. He resides on his own privately –owned island and founded global corporation Virgin. He is the fourth richest person in the UK.

Overcoming obstacles and challenging conditions at a young age, Serena Williams’ sense of fight and determination is ultimately her greatest attributor to her success. She encountered countless instances where her faith in her ability was questioned, but she rose above those critics, her age, her gender, her ethnicity, nothing could derail this prestigious athlete from greatness – Serena Williams has won enough awards for several lifetimes.

Oprah Winfrey overcame child abuse to create her multi-award-winning talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and found a multi-million dollar multimedia production empire.

Bethany Hamilton had her arm bitten off by a shark. Hamilton at the age of 13, survived a harrowing shark attack that claimed her left arm. She went on to become a champion surfer and two years later won first place in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships.