Conflicts, Failure & The Making of Champions | Sai Prasad Vishwanathan | TEDxYouth@CHIREC
What does it mean to turn limits into possibilities? In this inspiring and often humorous talk, Sai Prasad Viswanathan reflects on growing up with a 60% physical disability while refusing to let it define his journey. From excelling in education to skydiving at 14,000 feet, trekking the Andes, and traveling to Antarctica, his story is one of resilience and audacity. Along the way, he challenges misconceptions about disability, showing how setbacks can fuel strength—and how to Fail Forward is to transform conflict into courage. Sai is the first Asian with a disability to set foot on Antarctica. Featured on Satyamev Jayate, he spotlighted India’s infrastructural challenges. Born with over 60% physical disability, he was denied school admissions but persevered. A gold medalist from CBIT, he earned an MS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from ISB, where he received the Torch Bearer Leadership Award (2011). He also won the Helen Keller Role Model Award (2010). Now a management consultant at Deloitte, Sai is an adventurer—skydiving from 14,000 ft (Limca Book of Records, 2008), exploring the Grand Canyon (2012), and diving at the Pacific-Atlantic intersection en route to Antarctica (2013). He co-founded Sahasra, impacting 15,000+ students, and consulted for Wadhwani Foundation & Home Ministry to promote employment for the disabled. His goal: to experience all five elements—earth, water, fire, sky, and air. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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