Lana Toplek: her own path through knowledge, music and sport

Lana Toplek experiences and shapes the world through determination, knowledge, perseverance and heart.

Lana is from a village near Čakovec. She has been blind since birth and, from her earliest years, learned to find her own ways to progress, learn and grow in a world that requires adaptation.

With support from her family, teachers and community, she developed independence and determination. Even as a pupil, she stood out through diligence and academic success, and she also achieved excellent results in Braille.

Music became an important form of expression for her. She plays the piano and sings, using music to communicate with the world, find freedom and express her personality.

Lana does not limit herself to one field of interest. Alongside music and education, she particularly enjoys running, an activity that requires discipline, endurance and strength.

Today, she studies Croatian language and literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. There, she continues to develop her love of language, literature and expression while meeting the complex demands of an academic environment.

She is socially active and participates in different activities and communities where her example challenges prejudice about the abilities of blind people.

Her story is about adaptation, perseverance and support that enables a person to find their own way to participate. More important than what Lana cannot see is everything she learns, creates and achieves each day.

When we build accessible environments and equal opportunities, more people can develop their abilities and leave their own mark. None of us walks alone.