Virginia Hall used her struggles to defeat Hitler.
This unlikely D-Day hero reminds us how to overcome anything.
“Limping woman” who spied on Hitler
Virginia Hall was not your typical spy.
Schooled at Radcliffe and Barnard College, she . . . 
- studied in France, Germany and Austria.
- lost her leg on a hunting trip in her 20s.
- was a socialite with money and status.
But, she chose service over pleasure.
Years before D-Day, Hall lived in occupied France gathering information for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).
Disguised as a journalist, she actually spied on the Germans.
But, she fled the country in 1942 when the Nazis tightened their grip.
Back in the USA, she applied for work at the Foreign Service, her lifelong dream.
When her application was rejected, she went back to the SOE working in Spain.
“How we deal with our setbacks shape our lives more than anything else we do.” Anthony Robbins
Use chance encounters to overcome setbacks
Hall heard the U.S. Office of Strategic Services needed help for the invasion of France.
She applied and they hired her.
Since she couldn’t parachute with one leg, they sent her to France via submarine.
A disabled woman, yes. A passionate patriot with vision, even more.
Despite the touch and go nature of leg pain, Virginia Hall excelled at outsmarting the Gestapo.
“She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.” Gestapo transmission regarding Virginia Hall
Liberate others and liberate yourself
She trained Resistance fighters in guerrilla warfare until France was liberated.
She returned home a hero and became the first woman to join the Central Intelligence Agency.
Virginia Hall overcame struggles by devoting herself to the liberation of others.
What’s your favorite way to transform struggles?