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Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do! Quiz

This quiz is about the achievements of courageous men and women who overcome debilitating illness and disabilities to achieve the seemingly impossible.

A multiple-choice quiz by catherine44. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
catherine44

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
323,943

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
896

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Despite having his right foot amputated following a car accident, Welshman Tom Whittaker became the first disabled person to achieve what incredible feat? Hint

Swimming the English Channel

Playing major league baseball

Completing the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon

Climbing Mount Everest

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which renowned English physicist, whose published works include "A Brief History of Time", is paralyzed and unable to speak unaided due to Motor Neuron Disease? Hint

Stephen Hawking

Peter Freund

Pierre Curie

Bob Lazar

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which American sprint champion overcame the debilitating effect of Grave's Disease to win three Olympic Gold Medals and five World Championships? Hint

Florence Griffith Joyner

Gail Devers

Merlene Ottey

Marion Jones

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Question 4 of 10

4. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Kim Phuc suffered extensive burns to her back as a result of a napalm attack during which war? Hint

Vietnam War

Gulf War

Korean War

Cold War

5. Which former slave, hero of the Underground Railroad and suffragette, was injured so badly by an overseer that she suffered seizures, crippling headaches and probable frontal lobe epilepsy throughout her adult life? Hint

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Jacobs

Eliza Bryant

Alice Paul

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which French Impressionist artist continued to paint although his movement was severely restricted and his fingers deformed by rheumatoid arthritis?
Hint

Paul Gauguin

Peter Paul Rubens

Claude Monet

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. American mathematical genius John Nash, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1978, struggled with which mental illness? Hint

M�nchausen syndrome

Bipolar disorder

Schizophrenia

Depression

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. "My Left Foot" is the autobiography of which Irish poet, author and painter, who was incapable of speech or voluntary movement as a result of cerebral palsy? Hint

Cecil Day-Lewis

Oscar Wilde

Frank O'Connor

Christy Brown

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Although afflicted with polio, who is the only US president to have been elected to more than two terms in office? Hint

John Quincy Adams

Theodore Roosevelt

Franklin Roosevelt

Abraham Lincoln

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which deaf US actress became the youngest person to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role? Hint

Shoshannah Stern

Deanne Bray

Marlee Matlin

Anna Pacquin

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Despite having his right foot amputated following a car accident, Welshman Tom Whittaker became the first disabled person to achieve what incredible feat?

Answer: Climbing Mount Everest

Tom Whittaker reached the summit of Mount Everest on his third attempt. Tom's "seven summits" quest details his inspirational dream to be the first disabled athlete to conquer the highest mountain on each continent.

2. Which renowned English physicist, whose published works include "A Brief History of Time", is paralyzed and unable to speak unaided due to Motor Neuron Disease?

Answer: Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking's prestigious career has encompassed all areas of physics. His research and theories in relation to black holes is particularly important. Stephen Hawking is confined to a wheelchair and relies on a voice synthesizer to speak.

3. Which American sprint champion overcame the debilitating effect of Grave's Disease to win three Olympic Gold Medals and five World Championships?

Answer: Gail Devers

Graves Disease is an autoimmune disease which causes enlargement of the thyroid. Symptoms include muscle weakness, fatigue and increased heart rate. At 24, Gail Devers underwent radioactive iodine treatment and hormone replacement therapy before resuming her outstanding athletics career.

4. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Kim Phuc suffered extensive burns to her back as a result of a napalm attack during which war?

Answer: Vietnam War

Kim Phuc was just 9 years old when she was photographed running, screaming in agony from her Vietnamese village. Although not expected to survive her injuries, Kim Phuc went on to become an advocate for child victims of war. She has become a Canadian citizen.

Answer: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was so successful in leading slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad that she acquired the nickname "Moses" and had a bounty placed on her head by wealthy southern landowners. Harriet was a cook, nurse and scout for the Union army during the Civil War. She also actively fought for voting rights for women and founded aged care homes for African Americans.

6. Which French Impressionist artist continued to paint although his movement was severely restricted and his fingers deformed by rheumatoid arthritis?

Answer: Pierre-Auguste Renoir

After he was confined to a wheelchair, Renoir adjusted his style and collaborated with other artists, so that he could continue painting and sculpture.

7. American mathematical genius John Nash, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1978, struggled with which mental illness?

Answer: Schizophrenia

"A Beautiful Mind", by Sylvia Nasar, is a biographical account of John Nash's mathematical achievements and his battle with schizophrenia.

8. "My Left Foot" is the autobiography of which Irish poet, author and painter, who was incapable of speech or voluntary movement as a result of cerebral palsy?

Answer: Christy Brown

After teaching himself to control movement in his left foot, Christy Brown learned to write by holding chalk between his toes. His novel "Down All the Days" has been translated into 14 languages and is considered one of Ireland's greatest literary works.

9. Although afflicted with polio, who is the only US president to have been elected to more than two terms in office?

Answer: Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin Roosevelt was first elected to office in 1932 when the USA was severely affected by the Great Depression. He lead his country through World War II, dying of a brain hemorrhage shortly before VE Day. Whilst there is some contention over whether his correct diagnosis should be Guillain-Barr� syndrome, there is no dispute over the paralysis the illness caused.

10. Which deaf US actress became the youngest person to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role?

Answer: Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin was 21 when she won the Oscar for her performance in "Children of a Lesser God".

Source: Author catherine44

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