Sharing an inspirational story of – Preeti Singh who was born with Cerebral Palsy – A congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, and posture. She has won many ‘Beauty Pageant Awards’ and recently she was crowned ‘Miss India Wheelchair’.
“As a 16-year-old something I was someone who had no clue about what to do in life, somehow there was only one thing that stayed with me – The desire of becoming A Chartered Accountant (CA) someday,” says Preeti Singh from Delhi, India.
“When I began doing well in my studies it started to make more sense to give CA a shot. One of the reasons that I wanted to pursue CA was that this was the only course that did not put any labels regarding *Disability* to it.
I cleared CPT (1st level CA exam) and IPCC (2nd level CA exam) on the 1st attempt. It did take a lot of hard work but there was always a lot of support from friends, family, and my mentor Ashish Sir.
I gave my CA IPCC exams (2nd level CA exam consisting of 2 groups, Group 1 & Group 2) when I was in very bad shape health-wise. Also, there was a regular college (she graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce) to manage with CA studies. I did overstrain myself back then but I cleared both groups together and all my efforts paid off.
After this came articleship which too I worked hard at and joined a renowned CA firm. All was going well, it seemed but I guess two things changed all this way:
1. My health started deteriorating
2. I started to feel ‘less attached‘ to the idea of a validation that maybe I was seeking through CA.
After my internship, I took a gap and chose to give my health a priority and indulge in things that I love and am passionate about. Talking about the perils of the taboo around disabled people started to strike me more than ever.
Do I wish to appear for CA Finals – Yes of course but when I am ready to give my ‘Heart and Soul’ to this course because it surely deserves all of my best.
Recently I have also been crowned ‘Miss India Wheelchair‘. For some interesting things about me, you can check http://www.kdkfactory.com/perspactive/missindia
Today I think of ‘Living my Life First’ because I have no Ferrari and I am no monk either.
I am always very bubbly and happy, that is my natural state, to be honest. Maybe I’m lucky this way that I do not bother much about what people say/ think about me. I am not a narcissist but a ‘Self-Lover’ for sure. I believe – You can’t love anyone or anything in life unless you fall in love with yourself first.
Cerebral Palsy has been a large part of my life, but not something that confines or defines my true identity. I want to be known for what I can do, not what I cannot,” she concluded.
P:S: You could reach out to Preeti on FB Preeti Singh.
