Nick Vujicic: Born Without Arms or Legs… Now He Surfs and Speaks to Millions
Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs. Step by step, he learned to write with his toes, to swim and to surf — and today he is a speaker. Learn five A2 words and how to use learned to + verb with the true story of Nick Vujicic.
Coming 9 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
He was born without or legs.
As a boy, he asked: why me?
Today, he .
This is the story of Nick Vujicic.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. Your is between your shoulder and your hand.
He was born without or legs.
. Your are at the end of your foot.
He has a small foot with two .
. When you , you move through water.
He can , too.
. A gives talks.
Today, he is a .
. When you , you ride a wave on a board.
In 2008, he in Hawaii for the first time.
Now, one pattern: learned to, plus a verb.
He learned to write with his .
Ready? Let's begin.
Nick Vujicic was born in Australia in 1982.
He was born without or legs.
His parents were shocked, but they loved him very much.
He has a small foot with two .
Doctors separated them, so he could use them like fingers.
He learned to write with his .
At school, some children were unkind.
He felt sad and lonely.
What could he do?
He learned to type and to use a computer.
He can , too.
As a young man, he gave a talk at a school.
After the talk, a girl came to him, crying, and hugged him.
Today, he is a .
He has spoken to millions of people in more than 70 countries.
In 2008, he in Hawaii for the first time.
He said it was one of the best days of his life.
Let's review. He was born without or legs.
He has a small foot with two .
He can , too.
Today, he is a .
In 2008, he in Hawaii for the first time.
And remember: he learned to write with his .
Nick Vujicic's story teaches us: think about what you can do.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
arm noun
the part of your body between your shoulder and your hand
“He was born without arms or legs.”
toe noun
one of the five small parts at the end of your foot
“He has a small foot with two toes.”
swim verb
to move through water using your body
“He can swim, too.”
speaker noun
a person who gives talks to groups of people
“Today, he is a speaker.”
surf verb
to ride a wave on a board
“In 2008, he surfed in Hawaii for the first time.”
audience noun
the people who watch or listen to a talk or a show
“His audience was very quiet.”
confident adjective
sure that you can do something
“Step by step, he became more confident.”
skateboard noun
a short board with wheels that you ride
“He can ride a skateboard.”
Grammar in the story
learned to + verb
We use it for: to say that someone got a new skill
- He learned to write with his toes.
- He learned to type and to use a computer.
From the story
- He learned to write with his toes.
- I learned to swim when I was six.
Find it in the story 5 times
Your turn
He learned write with his toes.
He learned to a computer.
When I was six, I to ride a bike.
Step 4
Story Challenge
7 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
Well done!
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Take it further
Before you watch: What new thing did you learn to do this year?
After you watch: Write three sentences with learned to. For example: I learned to swim when I was seven. My sister learned to drive last year. I learned to cook rice from my mother.
Think about it: Nick asked “Why me?” Later, he thought about what he could do. Is that a good way to think? Why?
