Against the odds

All these people triumphed over disability or illness to achieve fame.

Lance Armstrong (1971-), American cyclist, contracted cancer that affected his brain and lungs. He recovered and went on to win the gruelling Tour de France cycle race a record seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2005.

Douglas Bader (1910-82) became a British war hero and flying ace, despite losing both his legs in a plane crash.

Ludwig van Beethoven 17701827 was one of the world's greatest composers. He continued to compose music even after he became totally deaf in 1817.

Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), French actress, lost a leg in 1914 but continued acting

Andrea Bocelli (1958-), an Italian opera singer who was blinded at the age of 12. He went on to achieve international singing success.

Louis Braille 18091852 was blind and invented the Braille system of printing with raised dots to enable blind people to read.

Miguel de Cervantes 15471616 Spanish author of Don Quixote, lost an arm in a battle.

Terry Fox (1958-81), Canadian athlete, lost a leg to cancer. He took up long-distance running, and through this he raised money for a cancer charity.

Frank Gardner (1952-), British television reporter, was paralysed in 2004 from a gun attack while working in Saudi Arabia, He later resumed work with the BBC.

Evelyn Glennie (1965-). Scottish percussionist, overcame profound deafness to become a world-class musician.

Stephen Hawking (1942-) a British physicist and celebrated author of A Brief History of Time, suffers from motor neurone disease. He is confined to a wheelchair and speaks with the aid of a voice synthesizer.

Helen Keller (1880–1968) was a famed author and lecturer despite being blind and deaf.

Lord Horatio Nelson 17581805 was a British admiral. He lost an arm and an eye in battle, but won many naval victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) was crippled by polio and spent much of his life in a wheelchair, but was elected US president four times.

Stephen Wiltshire (1974-), British architectural artist, reached the top of his profession despite suffering from severe autism.

Stevie Wonder (1950-), US singer was born blind. He is now one of the world's most popular entertainers.

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