Melissa Benson

Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development

After losing her sight in her early twenties, Melissa began a unique journey towards independence and resilience. In her sessions, Melissa addresses issues like teamwork, problem solving, leadership, discrimination, courage, decision making, goalsetting and overcoming adversity.

Consumed by new found challenges after losing the ability to see, Melissa learnt to live one day at a time. Relearning everyday tasks through organisation and structure she began to map out intricate details in her mind. With no white stick or guide dog, she derived a system of practical problem solving and began navigating her way through life.

At twenty she became a volunteer speaker for the Association for the Blind and sharing her life experiences with primary school children. She also worked in her father’s company, impressing workers as she walked into the boardroom with a tray full of hot drinks, asking everyone to guide her to where they were seated. This enabled her to deal with her blindness and helped rebuild her self-worth and purpose.

Melissa believes that extracurricular activities are, without question, imperative to the development of people with disabilities. Melissa started horseriding with The Riding for the Disable Association of Victoria once a week at the South Melbourne Centre. She found the controlled environment of the indoor arena perfect for her particular disability. After riding for some time, Melissa started competing again and has regained complete confidence in herself and her ability to ride. It is Melissa’s dream to become the first totally blind rider to represent Australia.