“I wish everyone recognized that dyslexia has its advantages.” ~ Robert Ballard
Dr. Robert Duane Ballard was born in Wichita, Kansas, but grew up in San Diego, California.
At the age of 12, he saw the Disney movie, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and was so fascinated by it, he decided he wanted to be Captain Nemo.
When he told his parents, they never laughed at him. Instead, they encouraged and supported him as he sought to make his dreams come true.
While completing grade school and college, he didn’t know he was dyslexic. He shares with interviewers that he just knew he was wired differently.
“I saw things differently. I saw the world through a different lens.”
He reported that he realized that the rules for living were written for people who were not like him. He decided that he didn’t want to live in that box and made a life for himself living outside of the box.
Because of this worldview and his persistence, he was the 1st in 13 generations in his family to go to college and graduate.
At the age of 62, he discovered the reason for his early learning issues that differentiated him from his peers.
He was identified as dyslexic.
He views dyslexia as a gift and believes that because of it, he was successful.
For decades, he has lived in the dark, wide oceans of the Earth.
People with dyslexia are exceptional at visualizing three-dimensional space. Because of this skill, he can take in all the information from the totally dark ocean and form a mental image.
Although he is best known for discovering the Titanic, and other notable shipwrecks, he has also invented a sea-exploring robot, served as professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, served as the technical consultant on the science fiction series seaQuest DSV, and is the founder of the JASON Project – an organization that introduces ocean exploration to public school students, among other things.
He was one of the first human beings to explore the largest mountain range on earth… beneath the ocean.
Dr. Ballard is also a powerful communicator and educator and now has inspired generations of people to study the oceans and become whoever they want to be.
He is now 79 years old and when asked how he was occupying his time, he replied, “When I was growing up, my Kansas grandmother was full of sayings, and I remember one in particular… ‘Great is the person who plants a tree knowing they will never sit in its shade.’ ”
“That’s where I am now. I’m planting trees.”
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.