For most of us, an ailment or an impairment can be a lot to take, and it takes a while to not only grow accustomed to living with it, but also making the most of your life alongside. However, there’s a reason the adage, impossible is nothing, exists. Because scores of people throughout history and our lifetimes have proven it. Here are some inspiring people with limited mobility who made an indelible mark on the world.

Stephen Hawking

Perhaps the most famous of them all, Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist and cosmologist who altered the way we think about black holes forever. His exceptional contributions to physics earned him several honors such as Cambridge’s Lucasian professorship of mathematics, which was once held by Isaac Newton. Hawking also became famous in popular culture through the megahit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, and also made several appearances on the show as well.

Frida Kahlo

Through a life lived by her own rules, Frida Kahlo today symbolises strength for minority and non-conformist communities. Having developed a unique painting style with a surrealist, magical realist and folksy aura, the Mexican painter gained recognition towards the latter half of her life and posthumously. Kahlo lived a tragic and painful life filled with health-related problems and had been affected by polio as a child. Yet, her vivid and often inward-looking work continues to influence deeply, invoking a unique hope in generations of people trying to understand themselves.

Christopher Reeve

The iconic American actor synonymous with Superman, Reeve gained massive fame playing the famous DC superhero. The idea of who Superman is so deeply entangled with Reeve that every subsequent actor donning the cape has attributes similar to the late actor. But that’s not all he’s done. Also known as a director, author and activist, Reeve suffered from paralysis during an equestrian accident, but that didn’t stop him from doing the things he loved most — acting, directing, pushing for better spinal injury research and writing.

Sudha Chandran

A well-known actor and dancer, Sudha Chandran is a great example of rising above tragedy and breaking barriers. When one of her legs was amputated after an accident, Chandran took her time and got back to dancing and acting with the help of a Jaipur foot. She continues to perform all over the world, and is incredibly active in films, television and the stage.

Harry Boniface Prabhu

The first Indian to win a medal at the International Paralympic Games, Harry Boniface Prabhu has pioneered wheelchair tennis in India and runs an academy that trains differently abled people in the sport for free. Prabhu has represented India in different sports more than 50 times, and has shown his prowess in athletics, shot put, badminton, table tennis and shooting. One of the highest ranked wheelchair tennis players in Asia, Prabhu was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014.