Cara E. Yar Khan: The beautiful balance between courage and fear | TED

Translator: Noa Fontan Abeijon Reviewer: Xosé María Moreno

When we're young, we're innocently brave,

Cando somos novos, somos valentes de forma inocente,

and we fearlessly dream about what our lives might be like.

e soñamos sen medo sobre como serán as nosas vidas.

Maybe you wanted to be an astronaut or a rocket scientist.

Quizais queredes ser un astronauta ou un enxeñeiro aeroespacial.

Maybe you dreamed of traveling to every continent.

Quizais soñabas con viaxar a cada continente.

Since I was very young,

Dende que era moi nova,

I dreamed of working for the United Nations

eu soñaba con traballar para as Nacións Unidas

in some of the most difficult countries in the world.

nalgúns dos países con máis dificultades do mundo.

And thanks to a lot of courage

E grazas a unha gran coraxe

that dream came true.

ese soño volveuse realidade.

But here's the thing about courage:

Pero hai que mencionar algo sobre a coraxe:

it doesn't just appear whenever we need it.

non aparece simplemente cando a necesitamos.

It's the result of tough reflection and real work,

É o resultado dun duro traballo e de reflexión,

involving the balance between fear and bravery.

que implica un equilibrio entre medo e valentía.

Without fear, we'll do foolish things.

Sen medo fariamos estupideces.

And without courage, we'll never step into the unknown.

Sen valentía nunca sairiamos da nosa zona de comfort.

The balance of the two is where the magic lies,

O equilibrio entre ambos é onde reside a maxia,

and it's a balance we all deal with every day.

e é un equilibrio co que tratamos cada día.

First, a word about my fancy wheels.

Primeiro, unha verba sobre as miñas rodas.

I haven't always used a wheelchair.

Non sempre estiven nunha cadeira de rodas.

I grew up like many of you,

Crecín coma moitos de vós,

running, jumping and dancing.

correndo, choutando e bailando.

I love to dance.

Encántame bailar.

However, in my mid-twenties,

Pero, aos vinte e pico

I began to experience a series of inexplicable falls.

comecei a caerme de forma inexplicable.

And a few years later,

E uns anos despois,

I was diagnosed with a recessive genetic condition

diagnosticáronme unha enfermidade xénetica recesiva

called hereditary inclusion body myopathy,

chamada miopatía corporal de inclusión hereditaria

or HIBM.

ou tamén MCIH.

It's a progressive muscle wasting disease

É unha enfermidade dexenerativa dos músculos

that affects all of my muscles from head to toe.

e afecta a todos dende a cabeza ata os pés.

HIBM is very rare.

MCIH é unha enfermidade rara.

In the United States there are less than 200 people diagnosed.

Nos Estados Unidos hai menos de 200 persoas diagnosticadas.

To date, there is no proved treatment or cure,

Ata hoxe, non hai tratamento probado ou cura,

and within 10 to 15 years of its onset,

e entre 10 ou 15 anos dende o comezo,

HIBM typically leads to quadriplegia,

O MCIH leva a cuadriplexia,

which is why I now use a wheelchair.

que é a razón pola que agora utilizo unha cadeira de rodas.

When I was first diagnosed, everything changed.

Cando mo diagnosticaron, todo cambiou.

It was frightening news

Estaba moi asustada

because I had no experience with chronic illness or disabilities.

porque non tiña ningunha experiencia con enfermidades crónicas ou discapacidades.

And I had no idea how the disease might progress.

E non tiña nin idea de como ía progresar a enfermidade.

But what was most disheartening

Pero o máis descorazonador

was to listen to other people advise me

foi escoitar a xente aconsellándome

to limit my ambitions and dreams,

que limitase as miñas ambicións e soños,

and to change my expectations of what to expect from life.

e que cambiase as miñas expectivas na vida.

"You should quit your international career."

"Deberías abandonar a túa carreira internacional."

"No one will marry you this way."

"Ningúen quererá casar contigo desta maneira."

"You would be selfish to have children."

"Sería egoísta que tiveses fillos."

The fact that someone who wasn't me

O feito de que alguén ademáis de min

was putting limitations on my dreams and ambitions

puxese limitacións aos meus soños e ambicións

was preposterous.

era irracional.

And unacceptable.

E inaceptable.

So I ignored them.

Así que os ignorei.

(Cheers and applause)

(hurras e aplausos)

I did get married.

Si que casei.

And I decided for myself not to have children.

E decidín por min mesma non ter fillos

And I continued my career with the United Nations

E seguín coa miña carreira coas Nacións Unidas

after my diagnosis,

despois do diagnóstico,

going to work for two years in Angola,

ir traballar durante dous anos a Angola,

a country recovering from 27 years of brutal civil war.

un país en recuperación tras 27 anos de terrible guerra civil.

However, it would be another five years

Pero pasaron cinco anos máis

until I officially declared my diagnosis to my employer.

ata que lle dixen ó meu xefe o meu diagnóstico.

Because I was afraid

Porque tiña eu medo

that they would question my capacity to manage and I'd lose my job.

de que cuestionasen a miña capacidade de xestión e perdería o meu traballo.

I was working in countries where polio had been common,

Traballaba en países nos que o polio fora común,

so when I overheard someone say

polo que cando oía a alguén dicir

that they thought I might have survived polio,

que pensaban que eu sobrevivira á polio,

I thought my secret was safe.

Pensaba que o meu segredo estaba a salvo.

No one asked why I was limping.

Ninguén preguntaba por que coxeaba.

So I didn't say anything.

Polo que eu non dicía ren.

It took me over a decade

Levoume case unha década

to internalize the severity of HIBM,

interiorizar a severidade do MCIH,

even as basic tasks and functions became increasingly difficult.

incluso as tarefas cotiás tornáronse cada vez máis difíciles.

Yet, I continued to pursue my dream of working all over the world,

Pero, continuei co meu soño de traballar por todo o mundo,

and was even appointed as a disability focal point

e incluso fun nomeada coma contacto cos discapacitados

for UNICEF in Haiti,

por UNICEF en Haití,

where I served for two years after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

one traballei durante dous anos tralo terremoto devastador de 2010.

And then my work brought me to the United States.

E logo o meu traballo levoume aos Estados Unidos.

And even as the disease progressed significantly

E aínda que a enfermidade progresaba de forma significativa

and I needed leg braces and a walker to get around,

e eu necesitaba reforzos nas pernas e un andador,

I still longed for adventure.

aínda desexaba vivir aventuras.

And this time,

Neste momento,

I started dreaming of a grand outdoor adventure.

comecei a soñar cunha gran aventura ao aire libre.

And what's more grand than the Grand Canyon?

E, que é máis grande ca O Gran Canón?

Did you know that for every five million people who visit the Rim

Sabiades que por cada cinco millóns de persoas que visitan o Rim

only one percent go down to the canyon's base?

só unha porcentaxe baixa ata o fondo do canón?

I wanted to be a part of that one percent.

Eu quería ser parte dese un por cento.

The only thing is --

O único problema é --

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

The only thing is that the Grand Canyon isn't exactly accessible.

O único problema é que o Gran Canón non é moi accesible.

I was going to need some assistance

Necesitaría axuda

to get down the 5,000-foot descent of vertical loose terrain.

para baixar cinco mil pés de descenso vertical en terreo solto.

Now, when I face obstacles,

Cando me enfronto ós obstáculos,

fear doesn't necessarily immediately set in

o medo non chega de súpeto

because I assume that one way or another,

porque sei que dunha forma ou doutra,

I'll figure it out.

conseguireino

And in this case, my thought was,

Neste caso, o meu pensamento foi

well, if I can't walk down,

que se non podo baixar camiñando.

I could learn to ride a horse.

Podería aprender a montar a cabalo.

So that's what I did.

E iso foi o que fixen.

And with that fateful decision

E con esa decisión pouco acertada

began a four-year commitment,

comezou un compromiso de catro anos,

tossing back and forth between fear and courage

entre o medo e a valentía

to undertake a 12-day expedition.

para levar a cabo unha expedición de 12 días.

Four days on horseback to cross Grand Canyon rim to rim,

Catro días e cabalo para cruzar o Gran Canón de cabo a rabo,

and eight days rafting 150 miles of the Colorado River,

e oito días facendo 150 millas do río Colorado,

all with a film crew in tow.

cun equipo de rodaxe.

Spoiler alert -- we made it.

Spoiler -- conseguímolo.

But not without showing me how my deepest fear

Pero non sen ensinarme como o maior medo

can somehow manifest a mirror response of equal courage.

pode manifestarse como unha resposta de igual valentía.

On April 13, 2018,

O 13 de abril de 2018,

sitting eight feet above the ground,

a oito pés do chan,

riding a mustang horse named Sheriff,

montada sobre un cabalo chamado Sheriff,

my first impression of Grand Canyon

a miña primeira impresión do Gran Canón

was one of shock and terror.

foi de horror e medo.

Who knew I had a fear of heights.

Quen podería saber que tiña medo ás alturas.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

But there was no giving up now.

Pero non podía renderme agora.

I mustered up every ounce of courage inside me

Recollín toda a valentía que tiña

to not let my fear get the best of me.

e non deixei que o medo se apoderase de min.

Embarking on the South Rim,

Comezamos polo sur,

all I could do to keep myself composed

todo o que podía facer para controlar o medo

was to breathe deeply, stare up into the clouds

era respirar profundamente e mirar as nubes

and focus on my team's voices.

e concentrarme nas voces do meu equipo.

But then, in the first hour, disaster struck.

Pero na primeira hora ocurreu un desastre.

Unable to hold myself upright in the saddle,

Non podía manterme na montura do cabalo,

going down an oversized step,

baixando a un paso longo,

I flung forward and smacked my face on the back of the horse's head.

lanceime cara diante e golpeei a cara coa cabeza do cabalo.

There was panic,

Houbo pánico,

my head hurt fiercely,

doíame a cabeza,

but the path was too narrow for us to dismount.

pero o camiño era demaisado estreito como para desmontar.

Only at the halfway point at 2,300 feet,

Na metade do camiño a 2300 pés,

at least another two hours down,

cando quedaban algo máis de dúas horas de descenso,

could we stop and remove my helmet

paramos e quitáronme o casco

and see the egg-sized bump protruding from my forehead.

para ver o pote xigantesco que me saíra na testa

For all of that planning and gear,

Con tanta planificación,

how is it that we didn't even have an ice pack?

como é que non tiñamos unha bolsa de xeo?

(Laughter)

(Risas)

Luckily for all of us, the swelling came outwards,

Por sorte para nós, a inchazón descendeu

and would drain into my face as two fantastic black eyes

e deu lugar a dous ollos ennegrecidos

which is an amazing way to look in a documentary film.

unha imaxe ideal para aparecer nun documental.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

(Applause and cheers)

(Hurras e aplausos)

This was not an easy, peaceful journey,

Non foi unha viaxe fácil e sinxela,

and yet, that was exactly the point.

pero esa era a cuestión.

Even though I was afraid to get back into the saddle,

Aínda que tiña medo de caer da sela,

I got back in.

Volvín subir a ela.

The descent alone to the canyon floor

O descenso ata o chan do cañón

took a total of 10 hours

levounos un total de 10 horas

and that was just day one of four riding.

E era só o primeiro día de catro montando a cabalo

Next came the mighty rapids.

O próximo foron os rápidos.

The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

O río Colorado no Gran Canón

has some of the highest white water in the country.

ten algún dos saltos de auga máis altos do país.

And just to be prepared in case we should capsize,

E para estar preparados ante cada peligro,

we'd practice having me swim through a smaller rapid.

practicara nadando nun rápido pequeno.

And it's safe to say it wasn't glamorous.

É pode dicirse que non foi nada glamuroso.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

I took my breath in the wrong part of the wave,

Collín aire cando tiña enriba a auga,

choked on river water

afoguei coa auga do río

and was unable to steer myself.

e non era capaz de guiarme.

Yes, it was scary,

Sí, daba medo,

but it was also fantastic.

pero tamén foi fantástico.

Waterfalls, slick canyons

Fervenzas, canóns escorregadizos

and a couple billion years of bedrock

e billóns de anos de sedimentos

that seemed to change color throughout the day.

que parecían cambiar de cor durante o día.

The Grand Canyon is true wilderness

O Gran Canón é verdadeira natureza

and worthy of all of its accolades.

e merecedor de todos os eloxios.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

The expedition,

A expedición,

all that planning and the trip itself,

toda esa planificación e a propia viaxe,

showed me a level of fear I had never experienced before.

mostroume un nivel de medo que nunca experimentara antes.

But more importantly,

Pero o que é máis importante,

it showed me how boldly courageous I can be.

aprendeume o ousada que pode ser a afouteza.

My Grand Canyon journey was not easy.

A miña viaxe polo Gran Canón non foi doada.

This was not a vision of an Amazonian woman

Non era unha visión dunha amazona

effortlessly making her way through epic scenery.

viaxando sen esforzos por unha paisaxe épica.

This was me crying,

Fíxome chorar,

exhausted and beat up with two black eyes.

esgotada e mazada con dous ollos ennegrecidos.

It was scary,

Tiven medo,

it was stressful,

estiven estresada,

it was exhilarating.

foi esgotador.

Now that the trip is over,

Agora que a viaxe terminou,

it's easy to be blasé about what we achieved.

é fácil parecer aburrida tras todo o que conseguimos.

I know I want to raft the river again.

Sei que quero descender o río outra vez.

This time, all 277 miles of it.

Esta vez, todas as 277 millas.

(Applause)

(Aplauso)

But I also know that I would never do the horseback-riding part again.

Pero tamén sei que non repetiría a parte montada a cabalo.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

It's just too dangerous.

Era demasiado perigoso.

And that's my real point.

E esa era a intención.

I'm not just here to show you my film footage.

Non estou aquí para amosar o documental.

I'm here to remind us all

Estou aquí para lembrarnos a todos

that life is really just a lesson

que a vida é unha lección

in finding the balance between fear and courage.

de procura do equilibrio entre o medo e a coraxe.

And understanding what is and what isn't a good idea.

Entender o que é ou non é unha boa idea.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

Life is already scary,

A vida xa dá medo,

so for our dreams to come true, we need to be brave.

e para cumprir os nosos soños, temos que ser valentes.

In facing my fears

Ó enfrontarme ós meus medos

and finding the courage to push through them,

e encontrar a afouteza para loitar contra eles,

I swear my life has been extraordinary.

xuro que a miña vida foi extraordinaria.

So live big

Así que vive plenamente

and try to let your courage outweigh your fear.

e intenta que a túa coraxe sexa maior có teu medo.

You never know where it might take you.

Nunca saberás onde te pode levar.

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause and cheers)

(Aplausos e hurras)