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As a boy, Churchill was physically unprepossessing, and had a speech impediment, but as a young man he overcame these obstacles and made a name for himself as a soldier and journalist.
Churchill’s later life was also marked by the determination to overcome repeated physical setbacks.
In 1922, Churchill was forced to defend his Parliamentary seat while recovering from acute appendicitis. He lost, but was back in Parliament two years later, this time with the Conservatives.
In 1931, Churchill was knocked down by a car while on a lecture tour in New York. Despite serious injuries, he still managed to complete many of his remaining speaking engagements.
In 1943, while in Carthage with General Eisenhower, Churchill suffered two heart attacks and pneumonia, but within three weeks was back in London, fighting fit.
In June 1953, Churchill suffered a stroke during an official dinner at Number 10, Downing Street. He brooded over whether to resign, but then set himself the target of speaking to the Conservative Party conference four months later. He achieved his goal.
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