Meet LifeSpeak Expert Talli Osborne

Though Talli was born missing her arms and bones in her legs, she was raised with the belief that she could do anything she wanted to, and this determined attitude is exactly how she lives her life. She has always participated fully in any activity that piqued her interests, from Girl Guides, school bands, little league, camp, and even Outward Bound, a wilderness school, where she portaged, carried a canoe and started fires using her feet. At 13, Talli started volunteering with the War Amps of Canada’s CHAMP program (something she does to this day). And so began Talli’s passion for inspiring others.

She speaks at seminars and shares her experiences with fellow amputees and their families, showing them that they, too, can live whatever life they want. As a teenager, she became a mentor for people with physical challenges. This led to Talli being the sole Canadian featured in Teens with the Courage to Give, a book comprised of 30 stories of teenagers overcoming the odds and being an inspiration to their community.

While Talli’s interests are in helping others and inspiring change, she was at Virgin Mobile Canada for almost 8 years, as a Social Media Specialist, a niche she has always enjoyed and excelled at. During her time at Virgin, Talli was awarded Best Customer Service Agent in the Americas, as well as Third Best in the World. Talli was also presented with the Virgin Stars of the Year Award by Sir Richard Branson himself. More recently, Talli received a video endorsement by Richard Branson, putting Talli in his Top 10 Most Inspirational People.

Talli has received some great media coverage throughout the years. She has been featured in the Toronto Star, CBC News, Metro News, Vice Magazine’s music mag. Noisey and even scored the cover story in the Hamilton Spectator.

Talli feels that being an inspirational speaker was something she was born to do. She loves changing perceptions and attitudes, and sharing her stories with others. As Talli says, she wants to spread inspiration, love and punk rock, across the globe, one talk at a time.