When we're young, we're innocently brave, and we fearlessly dream about what our lives might be like. Maybe you wanted to be an astronaut or a rocket scientist. Maybe you dreamed of traveling to every continent. Since I was very young, I dreamed of working for the United Nations in some of the most difficult countries in the world. And thanks to a lot of courage that dream came true.
Lè nou jèn, nou brav paske nou inosan, epi n ap reve, san nou pa pè, sou jan lavi nou kapab ye. Petèt, ou te vle vin yon astwonòt oubyen yon enjenyè nan domèn fize. Petèt, ou te reve vwayaje nan tout kontinan yo. Depi lè m te tou piti, mwen te reve travay pou Nasyonzini nan kèk nan peyi ki pi difisil nan monn nan. E kòm m te gen anpil kouraj, rèv sa a te vin yon reyalite.
But here's the thing about courage: it doesn't just appear whenever we need it. It's the result of tough reflection and real work, involving the balance between fear and bravery. Without fear, we'll do foolish things. And without courage, we'll never step into the unknown. The balance of the two is where the magic lies, and it's a balance we all deal with every day.
Men sa n bezwen konnen sou kouraj: li pa annik parèt lè nou bezwen l lan. Se rezilta gwo refleksyon ak bon jan travay, sa mande pou gen ekilib ant laperèz ak bravou. Si pa gen laperèz, n ap fè anpil erè. E si n pa gen kouraj, nou p ap janm avantire nou. Sekrè a se fè ekilib ant laperèz ak kouraj, epi se yon ekilib n ap chèche chak jou Bondye mete.
First, a word about my fancy wheels. I haven't always used a wheelchair. I grew up like many of you, running, jumping and dancing. I love to dance. However, in my mid-twenties, I began to experience a series of inexplicable falls. And a few years later, I was diagnosed with a recessive genetic condition called hereditary inclusion body myopathy, or HIBM. It's a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects all of my muscles from head to toe. HIBM is very rare. In the United States there are less than 200 people diagnosed. To date, there is no proved treatment or cure, and within 10 to 15 years of its onset, HIBM typically leads to quadriplegia, which is why I now use a wheelchair.
Toudabò, m ap pale sou bèl chèz woulant mwen an. Mwen pa t toujou gen chèz woulant. Tankou anpil nan nou, m te yon timoun ki te konn kouri, vole, danse. Mwen renmen danse. Men, lè m te nan mitan ventèn, m te kòmanse ap plede tonbe, san m pa ka eksplike rezon an. Epi, kèk ane annaprè, doktè te wè m gen yon maladi jenetik ki grav ki rele sendwòm ereditè myopati kò enklizyon, oubyen HIBM. Se yon maladi k ap manje mis yo tikras pa tikras ki afekte tout mis nan kò m, depi nan tèt rive nan zòtèy. HIBM ra anpil. Ozetazini, gen mwens pase 200 moun ki genyen l. Jouk jodi a, yo poko jwenn tretman, oubyen gerizon pou li, e depi w gen 10 a 15 an avè l, maladi a ka paralize w nan tou lè kat manm ou yo, se poutèt sa mwen sou chèz woulant kounye a.
When I was first diagnosed, everything changed. It was frightening news because I had no experience with chronic illness or disabilities. And I had no idea how the disease might progress. But what was most disheartening was to listen to other people advise me to limit my ambitions and dreams, and to change my expectations of what to expect from life. "You should quit your international career." "No one will marry you this way." "You would be selfish to have children." The fact that someone who wasn't me was putting limitations on my dreams and ambitions was preposterous. And unacceptable. So I ignored them.
Lè m te vin konn ki maladi genyen, tout bagay te chanje. Nouvèl sa a te ban m kè kase paske m pa t gen okenn eksperyans ak maladi oswa andikap kwonik. Epi, m pa t menm konn ki jan maladi a ta pral devlope. Men, sa ki te plis dekouraje m, se konsèy lòt moun yo t ap ban m pou m abandone anbisyon m ak rèv mwen, e pou m chanje rèv mwen te gen pou lavi m. "Ou ta dwe kite karyè entènasyonal ou a." “Pèsonn p ap marye avèk ou jan w ye a.” “Si w fè pitit jan w ye la a, konnen w egoyis.” An reyalite, pou se yon lòt moun ki t ap fikse limit rèv mwen ak anbisyon m, sa pa t gen sans. Epi, sa pa t akseptab. Kidonk, mwen pa t okipe yo.
(Cheers and applause)
(Aklamasyon ak aplodisman)
I did get married. And I decided for myself not to have children. And I continued my career with the United Nations after my diagnosis, going to work for two years in Angola, a country recovering from 27 years of brutal civil war. However, it would be another five years until I officially declared my diagnosis to my employer. Because I was afraid that they would question my capacity to manage and I'd lose my job. I was working in countries where polio had been common, so when I overheard someone say that they thought I might have survived polio, I thought my secret was safe. No one asked why I was limping. So I didn't say anything.
Wi, m te vin marye. Epi m te deside, mwen menm, m p ap fè pitit. Epi m te kontinye travay nan Nasyonzini apre dyagnostik doktè yo, mwen te fè de lane ap travay Angola, yon peyi k ap reprann li aprè 27 lane anba gwo gè sivil. Epi, se aprè senk lane, mwen te vin fè patwon m konnen mwen te malad. Paske m te pa t vle yo panse m pa t ka responsab anyen, pou m pa t pèdi travay mwen. Mwen t ap travay nan peyi kote anpil moun te fè polyo, donk, lè m te tande yon moun di li panse mwen se yon moun ki te fè polyo, m te panse sekrè m nan te byen kache. Pèsonn pa t mande m poukisa m t ap bwate. Donk, mwen pa t di yo anyen.
It took me over a decade to internalize the severity of HIBM, even as basic tasks and functions became increasingly difficult. Yet, I continued to pursue my dream of working all over the world, and was even appointed as a disability focal point for UNICEF in Haiti, where I served for two years after the devastating 2010 earthquake. And then my work brought me to the United States. And even as the disease progressed significantly and I needed leg braces and a walker to get around, I still longed for adventure. And this time, I started dreaming of a grand outdoor adventure. And what's more grand than the Grand Canyon?
Sa te pran m plis pase dizan pou tout sentom maladi a parèt sou mwen, menm ti aktivite senp yo te vin twò difisil pou mwen. Malgre sa, m te kontinye pousuiv rèv mwen pou m travay toupatou nan monn nan, epi yo te nommen m responsab yon sant pou andikape pou UNICEF an Ayiti, kote m te travay pandan de lane apre gwo tranblemanntè 2010 la. Apre sa, mwen t al travay Ozetazini. Malgre maladi a t ap pwogrese anpil, mwen te bezwen aparèy pou janm mwen ak deanbilatè pou m mache, mwen te toujou gen rèv pou m reyalize. Epi lè sa a, m te kòmanse reve yon gwo avanti an plen è. E ki sa k pi gran pase Grand Canyon?
Did you know that for every five million people who visit the Rim only one percent go down to the canyon's base? I wanted to be a part of that one percent. The only thing is --
Èske n te konnen chak 5 milyon moun ki vizite Grand Canyon sèlman 1% ladan yo desann nan fon Grand Canyon? Mwen te vle fè pati yon pousan sa a. Sèl bagay...
(Applause)
(Aplodisman)
The only thing is that the Grand Canyon isn't exactly accessible. I was going to need some assistance to get down the 5,000-foot descent of vertical loose terrain. Now, when I face obstacles, fear doesn't necessarily immediately set in because I assume that one way or another, I'll figure it out. And in this case, my thought was, well, if I can't walk down, I could learn to ride a horse. So that's what I did.
Sèl bagay Grand Canyon pa yon kote vrèman aksesib. Mwen te bezwen yon ti èd pou m desann montay vètikal 5 000 pye. Kounye a, lè m gen pwoblèm, mwen pa kite laperèz pote m ale paske m di tèt mwen kèlkeswa jan sa ye, m ap degaje m kanmenm. Nan ka sa a, mwen te panse, bon, kòm m pa ka desann a pye, m ta aprann monte cheval. E se sa m te fè.
And with that fateful decision began a four-year commitment, tossing back and forth between fear and courage to undertake a 12-day expedition. Four days on horseback to cross Grand Canyon rim to rim, and eight days rafting 150 miles of the Colorado River, all with a film crew in tow. Spoiler alert -- we made it. But not without showing me how my deepest fear can somehow manifest a mirror response of equal courage. On April 13, 2018, sitting eight feet above the ground, riding a mustang horse named Sheriff, my first impression of Grand Canyon was one of shock and terror. Who knew I had a fear of heights.
Epi, depi lè m pran gwo desizyon sa a, mwen te angaje m pou katran, lavi m t ap balanse ant laperèz ak kouraj jis pou m te ka fè yon vwayaj ki t ap dire 12 jou. M t ap pase kat jou sou cheval pou m travèse Grand Canyon, ak uit jou sou ti bato pou m travèse 150 kilomèt rivyè Kolorado a, tout sa ak yon ekip kameramann dèyè m. Fò m di nou, nou te reyisi. Men, tou jan m te montre pi gwo laperèz mwen ka pèmèt mwen dekouvri tout kouraj mwen genyen. Jou 13 Avril 2018 la, m te chita uit pye pi wo pase tè a, sou yon cheval mustang yo te rele Sheriff, lè m te fèk wè Grand Canyon, m te choke epi laperèz te anvayi m. Ki jan m te fè konnen m te pè kote ki wo?
(Laughter)
(Moun yo ri)
But there was no giving up now. I mustered up every ounce of courage inside me to not let my fear get the best of me. Embarking on the South Rim, all I could do to keep myself composed was to breathe deeply, stare up into the clouds and focus on my team's voices. But then, in the first hour, disaster struck. Unable to hold myself upright in the saddle, going down an oversized step, I flung forward and smacked my face on the back of the horse's head. There was panic, my head hurt fiercely, but the path was too narrow for us to dismount. Only at the halfway point at 2,300 feet, at least another two hours down, could we stop and remove my helmet and see the egg-sized bump protruding from my forehead. For all of that planning and gear, how is it that we didn't even have an ice pack?
Men, mwen pa t vle abandone. Mwen te met fanm sou mwen pou laperèz pa t pote m ale. Pandan m sou bò sid Gran Canyon, tout sa m te ka fè pou m te ka rete kalm se te respire pwofon, kontinye gade nyaj yo, epi ret konsantre sou vwa moun ki te avè m yo. Men annaprè, sou yon èdtan, malè te frape m. Kòm m pa t ka kenbe kò m sou sèl la, pandan m t ap desann yon pant ki apik, m plonje an avan, tèt mwen t al frape dèyè tèt cheval la. Tout moun te panike, tèt mwen te frape fò, men, ti wout la te twò jennen pou yo te fè m desann cheval la. Nou te nan mwatye wout, sou 2 300 pye, nou te manke de èdtan ankò pou n rive anba, nou kanpe, yo retire kas nan tèt mwen, e yo te wè yon boul ki gwosè yon ze nan fwon m. Byenke n te pote tout sa n t ap bezwen, kijan nou fè nou pa t menm gen yon sachè glas?
(Laughter)
(Moun yo ri)
Luckily for all of us, the swelling came outwards, and would drain into my face as two fantastic black eyes which is an amazing way to look in a documentary film.
Erezman pou tout moun, boul la pa t twò grav, li te vin tankou de bèl mak nwa anba je m, sa k ap parèt byen bèl nan yon fim dokimantè.
(Laughter)
(Moun yo ri)
(Applause and cheers)
(Aplodisman ak aklamasyon)
This was not an easy, peaceful journey, and yet, that was exactly the point. Even though I was afraid to get back into the saddle, I got back in. The descent alone to the canyon floor took a total of 10 hours and that was just day one of four riding.
Vwayaj sa a pa t ni fasil, ni trankil, e poutan, se sa menm mwen te vle. Ak tout mwen te pè monte cheval la ankò, se sa m te fè. Pou yon moun desann jis nan pye Gran Canyon, sa te pran dis èdtan antou. Se te jis premye nan kat jou vwayaj la.
Next came the mighty rapids. The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon has some of the highest white water in the country. And just to be prepared in case we should capsize, we'd practice having me swim through a smaller rapid. And it's safe to say it wasn't glamorous.
Epi, nou te dwe desann rivyè rapid yo. Rivyè Kolorado a, nan Grand Canyon nan, se youn nan rivyè ki pi fon nan peyi a. Pou n te ka pare si kannòt la chavire, yo te fè m naje yon kote dlo a pa t twò rapid. Mwen pa kache di w se pa t atiran.
(Laughter)
(Moun yo ri)
I took my breath in the wrong part of the wave, choked on river water and was unable to steer myself. Yes, it was scary, but it was also fantastic. Waterfalls, slick canyons and a couple billion years of bedrock that seemed to change color throughout the day. The Grand Canyon is true wilderness and worthy of all of its accolades.
M al pran souf nan pi move kote nan dlo a, dlo rivyè a te trangle m epi m pa t ka kontwole tèt mwen. Wi, mwen te pè anpil, men, sa te vrèman bèl. Kaskad yo, ravin glise yo, ak tèt wòch ki la depi plizyè milya ane ki t ap chanje koulè pandan tout jounen an. Grand Canyon se yon zòn sovaj ki merite tout respè nou.
(Applause)
(Aplodisman)
The expedition, all that planning and the trip itself, showed me a level of fear I had never experienced before. But more importantly, it showed me how boldly courageous I can be. My Grand Canyon journey was not easy. This was not a vision of an Amazonian woman effortlessly making her way through epic scenery. This was me crying, exhausted and beat up with two black eyes. It was scary, it was stressful, it was exhilarating.
Tout moun ki te fè vwayaj la, tout planifikasyon yo, e vwayaj la li menm, te fè m santi yon laperèz m pa t janm santi anvan sa. Men, sa k pi enpòtan an, li ede m wè tout kouraj mwen genyen. Vwayaj mwen nan Grand Canyon pa t fasil. Mwen pa t tankou yon fi nan forè Amazoni ki t ap vwayaje byen fasil nan yon bèl peyizaj. M te gen dlo nan je m, tou bouke, ak de mak nwa anba je m. Mwen te pè, m te estrese, men, sa te bèl.
Now that the trip is over, it's easy to be blasé about what we achieved. I know I want to raft the river again. This time, all 277 miles of it.
Kòm vwayaj la fini, li fasil pou n bliye sa n te akonpli yo. M konnen m anvi desann rivyè a sou kannòt ankò. Fwa sa a, m ap fè tout 445 kilomèt yo.
(Applause)
(Aplodisman)
But I also know that I would never do the horseback-riding part again.
Epitou, mwen konnen m pa t ap janm monte cheval ankò.
(Laughter)
(Moun yo ri)
It's just too dangerous. And that's my real point. I'm not just here to show you my film footage. I'm here to remind us all that life is really just a lesson in finding the balance between fear and courage. And understanding what is and what isn't a good idea.
Gen twòp danje nan sa. Men sa m vle di nou: Mwen pa jis vin la a pou montre nou videyo m te fè a. Mwen vin la a fè nou tout sonje vrèman vre, lavi a se yon lekòl, kote n ap aprann fè ekilib ant kouraj ak laperèz. Epi n dwe aprann fè diferans ant yon bon ide ak yon move ide.
(Laughter)
(Moun ap ri)
Life is already scary, so for our dreams to come true, we need to be brave. In facing my fears and finding the courage to push through them, I swear my life has been extraordinary. So live big and try to let your courage outweigh your fear. You never know where it might take you.
Lavi a deja bay laperèz, donk, nou dwe brav pou n reyalize rèv nou yo. Nan afwonte laperèz mwen e m met kouraj sou mwen pou m goumen anba yo, franchman, lavi m estrawodinè. Donk, se pou w viv angranjan, epi mete plis kouraj sou ou pou w venk laperèz ou. Ou pa janm konn kot sa ka mennen w.
Thank you.
Mèsi.
(Applause and cheers)
(Aplodisman ak Aklamasyon)