USA

Leader profile

Nick Vujicic

Also known as Nicholas James Vujicic

Australian-American evangelist and motivational speaker, born without arms or legs, who founded Life Without Limbs and has spoken in more than 80 countries.

Business & Management Speaker

Communication & Public Speaking Coach

Corporate Training Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Leadership Speaker

Marketing & Branding Speaker

Profession

Evangelist, Motivational speaker, Author, Founder of NickV Ministries (Life Without Limbs)

Known for

Overcoming adversity, Disability and resilience, Christian faith and evangelism, Hope and purpose, Anti-bullying, Youth motivation, Depression and suicide prevention, Marriage and family, Public speaking

Born

December 4, 1982

Died

Birthplace

Melbourne, Australia

Based in

Texas

Nationality

USA

On this page

Who is Nick Vujicic?

Nick Vujicic, born on 4 December 1982 in Melbourne to Serbian immigrant parents, is an Australian and American evangelist, author and motivational speaker. He was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare condition marked by the absence of arms and legs.

As a child he faced bullying and depression and at one point attempted suicide by drowning in a bathtub. He has said that faith in Jesus and gratitude helped him find purpose. He began speaking at school and church events at 17 and graduated from Griffith University at 21 with a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and financial planning.

In 2005 he founded the ministry Life Without Limbs, now NickV Ministries, and in 2007 the secular speaking company Attitude Is Altitude. His books, beginning with Life Without Limits (2010), and his role in the short film The Butterfly Circus brought his story to a global audience.

He married Kanae Miyahara in 2012 and they have four children. He often speaks about marriage and fatherhood as part of his message that a person’s value is not defined by their circumstances.

Why they matter

Nick Vujicic has become one of the best-known evangelists and motivational speakers of his generation, addressing schools, churches and businesses on hope, resilience and faith. His talks and online videos have reached millions of viewers worldwide.

Through NickV Ministries he runs live outreach, prison ministry and digital ministry, and through Attitude Is Altitude he speaks to secular audiences, especially young people dealing with bullying and low self-esteem.

His first book, Life Without Limits, has sold more than one million copies and been translated into some 30 languages, and his performance in The Butterfly Circus won him a Best Actor award in 2010.

Key personal details

Full name: Nicholas James Vujicic
Born: 4 December 1982, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality: Australian and American
Background: Serbian descent; his parents emigrated from the former Yugoslavia
Religion: Christian; raised Serbian Orthodox in his earliest years, after which the family became Protestant
Condition: Tetra-amelia syndrome, with no arms or legs but a small partial foot with two toes that he uses to write, type and swim

Family and early life

Vujicic’s parents, Borislav (Boris) and Dušanka (Dushka) Vujičić, were Serbian immigrants; his father is a pastor in the Apostolic Christian Church. He has two younger siblings, Aaron and Michelle. His parents struggled with grief at his condition at first, but raised him, he says, “to look at the bright side of life”.

Victorian law initially kept him out of mainstream school, but after the law changed he became one of the first students with a disability to be integrated into a mainstream school in the state. He was bullied and became depressed, and as a child attempted to drown himself in a bathtub before deciding to live.

He started giving inspirational talks at 17 and graduated from Griffith University at 21 with a Bachelor of Commerce, double majoring in accountancy and financial planning.

He married Kanae Miyahara on 12 February 2012. They have two sons, Kiyoshi (born 2013) and Dejan (born 2015), and twin daughters, Olivia Mei and Ellie Laurel, born on 20 December 2017. His ministry is now based in Allen, Texas.

Career, jobs and work

Vujicic founded the non-profit ministry Life Without Limbs in 2005; by 2008 it was based in southern California, and it now operates as NickV Ministries from Texas. As president and CEO, he preaches the Gospel at outreach events and churches, with the ministry also running prison ministry, digital ministry and prayer programmes.

In 2007 he founded Attitude Is Altitude, a secular motivational speaking company through which he addresses schools, corporate events and conferences on resilience, bullying and purpose. He has appeared on television programmes including ABC’s 20/20 in 2008.

His books, published by Random House imprints, include:

Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life (2010)
Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action (2012)
Limitless: Devotions for a Ridiculously Good Life (2013)
Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying (2014)
Love Without Limits, with Kanae Vujicic (2014)
Be the Hands and Feet (2018)

He starred as Will in the 2009 short film The Butterfly Circus. In 2021 he co-founded ProLife Bank, reflecting his opposition to abortion, and in 2022 launched the ministry initiative Champions for the Brokenhearted to support groups in need.

Achievements

Founded Life Without Limbs (now NickV Ministries), an international evangelistic ministry, in 2005.
Built a parallel secular platform, Attitude Is Altitude, for schools and businesses.
New York Times bestselling author; Life Without Limits has sold more than one million copies and been translated into about 30 languages.
Won Best Actor in a Short Film at the 2010 Method Fest Independent Film Festival for The Butterfly Circus, which also won the Doorpost Film Project grand prize.
Nominated for Young Australian of the Year in 2005.

Awards & Recognition

Young Australian of the Year (nominee) (2005)

Nominated for Australia's Young Australian of the Year award in recognition of his inspirational work; he did not win the award.

Doorpost Film Project Grand Prize (The Butterfly Circus) (2009)

The short film in which he starred as Will won the grand prize of the Doorpost Film Project.

Best Actor in a Short Film, Method Fest Independent Film Festival (2010)

Awarded for his debut screen performance as Will in The Butterfly Circus.

Best Short Film, Feel Good Film Festival (The Butterfly Circus) (2010)

The Butterfly Circus, in which he played the lead role, won best short film at the Feel Good Film Festival in Hollywood.

Watch Nick Vujicic speak

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Nick Vujicic?

Nick Vujicic is an Australian-American Christian evangelist and motivational speaker, born on 4 December 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. He was born without arms or legs due to a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome.

He leads the ministry Life Without Limbs, now known as NickV Ministries, and is the author of several books, including the bestseller Life Without Limits.

How does Nick Vujicic manage daily life without limbs?

Nick has a small foot on his left side, which he calls his ‘chicken drumstick’. He uses it to type, write, operate a motorised wheelchair and use a phone.

He has also learned to swim, surf and skydive, and has described how his parents encouraged him to be as independent as possible from childhood.

What is Nick Vujicic's main message?

His central message is that every person has value and purpose, regardless of their circumstances. He often uses the phrase ‘attitude is altitude’ to describe how choosing hope can change how a person faces obstacles.

As a Christian evangelist, he connects that hope to his faith in Jesus Christ, while his school and corporate talks focus more broadly on resilience and self-worth.

Did Nick Vujicic struggle with depression as a child?

Yes. Nick has spoken openly about being bullied and feeling deeply depressed as a child. Around the age of 10 he tried to drown himself in a bathtub but stopped when he thought about the grief it would cause his family.

He has said that reading about another person with a severe disability as a teenager helped him realise he was not alone, and this experience shapes his work on suicide prevention.

What books has Nick Vujicic written?

His books include Life Without Limits, Unstoppable, Limitless, The Power of Unstoppable Faith, Stand Strong, Love Without Limits (written with his wife Kanae) and Be the Hands and Feet.

Life Without Limits has been translated into many languages and is his best-known work.

Is Nick Vujicic married?

Yes. Nick married Kanae Miyahara on 12 February 2012. The couple have four children: two sons and twin daughters.

They wrote Love Without Limits together about their relationship, and the family lives in the United States.

What is Nick Vujicic's educational background?

Nick earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, with a double major in accountancy and financial planning. He graduated at the age of 21.

What is NickV Ministries?

NickV Ministries, originally called Life Without Limbs, is the Christian non-profit ministry Nick leads after moving to the United States. It shares the Christian gospel through events, media and outreach programmes.

The ministry reports reaching people in more than 80 countries, and runs initiatives such as Champions for the Bullied, which supports young people affected by bullying.

How can I invite Nick Vujicic to speak?

Speaking requests for Nick are handled through his official website, nickvujicic.com, and through NickV Ministries for church and faith-based events. Some speaker bureaus also represent him for corporate and school events.