, I recently read an article written by Blair
about an inspiring guy named Hoby. I loved what Hoby said
in his interview about having to work hard despite his disability. His words
really resonated with me. Here is an excerpt from the article… Hoby
Wedler is a rising star in the world of wine. Blind since birth, he's a
phenomenon in the world of sensory science. Hoby now,
on the verge of earning his chemistry doctorate, plans to have a career in the
wine industry (and possibly beer and olive oil) and use his advanced degrees in
his spare time.
Wedler
typically has 110-hour work weeks. He operates a nonprofit, Accessible Science,
which conducts three-day chemistry camps for blind and visually impaired high
school students.
In
2012, he was one of 14 people recognized in a ceremony at the White House as
Champions of Change for their work with inspiring people with disabilities in
the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math.
Yet,
he has a humility that resonates.
“I
don’t let on that I have bad days – ever,” he said. “I’m a non-complainer
because no one has to deal with my day. I have to work two or three times more
hours than a sighted person. It means very little sleep, but if I said, ‘Woe is
me; I need my sleep,’ I wouldn’t get anywhere.”
Beyond
his determination to succeed, Wedler’s ability to taste wine and his skill at
talking about it help him engage beginners and wine aficionados alike. With his
young palate still identifying benchmarks and calibrating the many complexities
of wine, Wedler has already impressed academics, winemakers and serious wine
tasters.
Having
memorized his routes in Davis as he did in his hometown, Wedler now is creating
his own route to success in the Napa Valley. He knows what he wants and, it just
so happens, he has been developing the appropriate skill set since childhood.
“Life
is a competition. I am by no means winning, but I am competing, for lack of a
better word, with sighted people who have more efficiency – blindness is merely
a lack of efficiency. If you want to compete, you just have to put in the time
and not give up. You have to push yourself as hard as you can, expect nothing
and hope for everything.”
