Lauren Pires is an award-winning speaker on resilience, joy, and belonging. Born with Central Core Disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder, she navigates life with 33% of the physical strength of the average person —but her unwavering spirit is at 100%.
Named #2 Inspirational Speaker of the Year in North America’s largest inspirational speaking competition (Speaker Slam, 2023) and recognized globally on the D-30 Disability Impact List (Diversability, 2024), Lauren is a trailblazer in the disability advocacy space. She made history as the first Canadian recipient of the prestigious “But You LOOK Good” Inspiration Award (Invisible Disabilities Association, 2023), joining past honorees like Wayne Brady and Yolanda Hadid.
As Canada’s first and only Invisible Disabilities Association Ambassador, Lauren has raised over $4,000 USD for the nonprofit. She also played a key role in the global Rare Disease Day #LightUpForRare campaign, leading the lighting of 21 monuments across 14 Canadian cities in 2025.
Lauren has been featured on Breakfast Television, CityNews Toronto, GlobalNews.ca and more. Connect with her online at LaurenSaysYay.com.
