July 31, 2019
Our Story of the Week is an interview with the new Miss Deaf World
2019. From Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Vidisha Baliyan was an
international-level tennis player and is now the first Indian to be win such
a prestigious title. It’s been a tough journey for Vidisha who has battled
serious injuries. In an interview to NewzHook, this former international
tennis player, she talks about these setbacks and why the title is much more
than just about her.
NewzHook (NH): You are the first Indian to win this
prestigious contest amidst tough competition. What are the qualities that
worked in your favour?
Vidisha Baliyan (VB): My interest to learn and dedication
worked in my favour. I am a student by heart and love learning. Thanks to my
sports background, I am also disciplined and fitness-conscious. If I work
towards something, I do not measure effort and commit to it
100%. I would say these qualities helped me in sports and at the
beauty pageant.
Also, it’s not just me. Many people who are deaf and hard of hearing are
abundant in talent but lack a platform or opportunity to express it.
NH: Everyone sees the victory; few know of the hardship.
You had to cope with a severe injury during your tennis career. Can you tell
us a little about that?
VB: I had a severe lower back injury – the L-4,
L-5 and S-1 discs slipped while I was preparing for the
Deaflympics in Turkey. I came fifth in the doubles event
even then and won the silver medal twice in the National
Games.
Because of the injury, I couldn’t cope with the strenuous practice and
doctors suggested I take a break. I did that for 11 months and it was
heart-breaking because sports meant the world to me. As a hard of hearing
child, I could not shine in education, and sports taught me a lot.
NH: How did you prepare, both physically and mentally for
the event?
VB: I believe half the battle lies in the
mind. I was keen on making my mark in the pageant because I felt it
would help provide a platform for people with hearing disabilities. God and
prayers strengthened me, visualisation helped me prepare mentally, as did 20
minutes of daily meditation.
Appearance is important so I did yoga daily, some swimming and cardio to
achieve optimum fitness levels. I followed a strict diet and all these
factors worked well.
NH: The highlight of your rounds was the tandav you
performed, which is a tough dance. How long did you take to get it right?
VB: Since childhood I have been copying the moves of
Bollywood heroines. I love dancing and can learn it easily, so it wasn’t
challenging. I took lessons from Anupama Iyer for 15 days
before the competition. I was very happy to perform the tandav before
a global audience.
NH: What made you reach out to Paralympian Deepa
Malik and her daughter for help?
VB: Deepa and Devika Malik helping me was a
beautiful act of destiny. Deepa ma’am and I trained together at Siri Fort
Stadium in 2013-14 under the same trainer. I find her passion to support
disabled people is commendable, first by setting an example in her own right,
and second, through her NGO Wheeling Happiness, which
prepared me thoroughly.
NH: Future plans? You have been an exemplary tennis
player and now a beauty contest winner. What next?
My single-minded goal is to support people like me and become a channel of
opportunities for them. I am extremely excited to share with the world the
importance of health, fitness and positivity for a good life. There have
been many lows in my life, at time they still are, but life teaches you to
not let it break you. I wish to use my story, life, and work to empower
people like me. I know how it feels to be disabled in a society which is
prone to judge easily. – Vidisha Baliyan, Miss Deaf World
2019
NH: What is the message you want to give specifically to
other girls with disability?
VB: My message to them is – Believe in yourself and in the
God, who created you. When I represented India in Turkey, I felt
proud of my disability. I have stopped feeling sorry for myself or
ashamed about my ‘disability’ and I would request every disabled person
to stop drowning in self-pity. Let’s make the best of life with what we are
given and prove to ourselves that we are not less than anyone.
ALSO READ:Miss Deaf World 2019 Vidisha Baliyan credits
Paralympian Deepa Malik’s Wheeling Happiness Foundation for win
