Ordinary people see only the possible, but the extraordinary visualise the impossible. This may be, perhaps, because ordinary people have mere eyesight, while the extraordinary have a vision. This is an extraordinary story of an ordinary man who fought his blindness and took on the world with sheer grit, determination and perseverance to make it big in life.
Ashish Goyal was born just like any other person with normal eyesight in Mumbai. But problems started when he reached 7. At times he found it difficult to see properly, the vision became blurred, but then he pulled on with this defect in retina for more than 10 years. He knew he was getting blind but never told anyone outside. He was afraid how society will take it. Things were quite normal till the final stage of his college in Mumbai. He was pursuing Bachelor's of Commerce. But before he could finish it, he became completely blind. He was just 19 at the time. His world came crashing down. He lost all his confidence – the fact that he cannot hang out with friends any more or for that matter cannot play cricket or participate in extra curricular activities, terrified him. He hid himself from society. He was so dejected that he decided not to give his final college exams. But thanks to his mom, Jyotiben, who persuaded him to sit the exams. She told him: “If you don't appear for the exams, you are going to fail. So it is better you sit the exam and fail.” This statement clicked. He wrote the exams with the help of writers and came out with flying colours, much to his delight and surprise. And then there was no looking back. A new Ashish was born, full of vigour and confidence.
His spiritual guru Dr Balaji Tambe based in Karla, 100km from Mumbai, also played a pivotal role in this transformation. Dr Tambe told Ashish: “You have lost only one sense. Four senses are still with you. Make use of them. Don't worry about the problem, rather look for a solution to the problem.” This went home with Ashish, and there began a new innings.
Ashish who had an academic bent of mind decided to chase his dreams. He did his MBA (finance) from the prestigious Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. He stood second in class and did well in extra curricular activities as well. Ashish was happy but didn't know his joy was shortlived. The jolt came during the campus interviews. His name was shortlisted every time, but the moment the companies found out he is blind, they rejected him outright, ruthlessly. They did not even give him a chance for an interview. This was a rude awakening for Ashish.
However, when every company around turned a blind eye to him, ING Vysya Bank came as a godsend to the depressed Ashish. The interview with the Bank managing director Dr V Raghunathan – a former IIM-Ahmedabad professor for 20 years – went well. The MD was so impressed with Ashish’s financial acumen that he gave him a free choice. Ashish grabbed the opportunity with both hands and chose a trading role. This was in 2003. He worked with ING Vysya Bank for 3 years in Bangalore.
But then Ashish always thought big and had big dreams. He realised that if he wants to make a mark for himself, he should be either in London or New York. He applied to Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, for yet another MBA degree. Mr Thomas Caleel of the business school did not discourage him, but then he made a challenging statement. He told Ashish, “I have never seen a blind trader on Wall Street. There's no guarantee whether you will get a job. But, anyways, life would definitely be better with an MBA from Wharton school than without it.” He graduated with honours. But nobody like him had done trading in bank before, so it was difficult to get his foot in the Wall Street door. The companies were skeptical to hire Ashish because there was no such precedence. Eventually JPMorgan Chase came to his rescue. They offered him internship at their London office and later – after an interview with their senior manangment headed by Mr Bill Winters – offered him a full-time job in 2008. Ashish worked as Prop Trader (under investment side) with JPMorgan. However, owing to changing financial regulations, banks could not do this business anymore, and so Ashish had to quit JPMorgan in 2012.
Undeterred by this development, Ashish moved on. He joined Hedge fund BlueCrest in London in 2012 and is currently working as Trader Portfolio Manager. Interestingly, Ashish Goyal is the first and the only blind person in the world to do this kind of a job.
Ashish uses a screen-reading software to check research reports and email.
Besides work, he has played Blind Cricket for London Metro Sports Club for 2 years. Sachin Tendulkar is his role model for the way the little master took on the world's best by sheer hard work.
Surprisingly, despite the world looking the other way when he was down, he is not bitter. Ashish says: “Many may have rejected me, but there were equally good people who accommodated me. I am not bitter. I am happy. I keep doing what I want to do. In fact, I want to give it back to the society. I do lot of non-profit work for various charity organisations like Royal National Institute of Blind People, Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, Pratham UK, and Teach for India. I help them in raising funds. I talk to young students, tell them about my story, advise them about the importance of knowledge and education. I mainly tell them 'Never give up. Keep perservering'. Because knowledge is power, and they can go places if they have the right education. I even invited my spiritual guru Dr Tambe to London last year for motivational and spiritual talks and I would like to continue that.”
Ashish has come a long way. Today he is a sight for sore eyes. By his sheer courage and will power, he has earned his place in the sun, inspiring many differently-abled persons to take a leaf out of his book.
This year the World Economic Forum chose him as a Young Global Leader for his trailblazing achievements – which is something to write home about, at least for a nearly written-off person like Ashish. In 2010 Ashish was also presented with the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities by then President of India Pratibha Patil.
He believes in prayers and does that regularly. He says prayers give him mental strength, peace, awareness and help him remain self-confident. He says today he has no fear and is not afraid of anything.
Well, someone who had swam against the current and turned the tide, how could fear touch him?
What makes Ashish extraordinary is – he believed in putting that little extra in ordinary things. He stands out from the crowd, not because he has an impairment in his vision but more because he never lost sight of his vision.
Ashish got married last year and lives happily with his wife Neha in London.
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We would like to know more about such people who shine out. Think you know someone like Ashish, who is worth interviewing? Email their details to: [email protected].
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