Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Chrislyn D’Sylva Pires has had an eventful journey as the parent of a daughter with a neuromuscular disability and now hopes to share her story after her daughter found the courage to tell hers.

Chrislyn will take part in Speaker Slam’s 10th annual Against All Odds competition in Toronto on Jan. 27, marking her first public speaking appearance.

She will compete against nine other speakers, each given five minutes to persuade a panel of four judges. Judges assess speakers on six criteria: message clarity, storytelling, transformative quality, entertainment, presentation and “it” factor.

Chrislyn’s daughter, Lauren Pires, is now a professional speaker after years of working in the non-profit sector. Lauren first shared her story publicly in 2023 at the same competition, speaking about being diagnosed with a neuromuscular disability in her early 20s.

She entered the competition after turning 30, and it marked the first time she spoke publicly about her life. Chrislyn said the experience “changed her life.”

Lauren won her first round and placed second in the Grand Slam final, the competition’s culminating event held near the end of the year.

After watching her daughter’s success, Chrislyn decided it was her turn to step onto the same stage.

“I always knew, ‘Now, it’s going to be my turn,’” she said.

Although she has never spoken publicly before, Chrislyn said the event gives her a powerful reason to push past that fear.

“The intention for me is to share the story,” she said. “It’s not totally about winning.”

Lauren had a difficult birth and was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors could not identify her condition at the time, and Chrislyn and her husband were repeatedly told their daughter might not survive.

Lauren did survive, but now lives with a disability that leaves her with about 33 per cent of the muscle power of an average person. At the time, Chrislyn was studying for her master of business administration at the Schulich School of Business and working as a financial analyst.

She eventually put her career on hold to care for her daughter.

“She wasn’t thriving when I wasn’t (there),” she said.

“I look back and I think it was the best thing I could’ve done with my life.”

The family, which includes Lauren’s brother, grew up in Brampton. After Lauren graduated from high school, they later moved to Switzerland for a period of time.

Lauren took a gap year between high school and university while in Switzerland, a country Chrislyn said posed challenges for someone with a neuromuscular disability because of its mountainous terrain. It took four months to find suitable housing.

Lauren later returned to Canada to attend the University of Guelph, marking the first time she lived independently, although her grandparents lived about 20 minutes away.

She now lives in Mississauga.

Chrislyn said one memory from the time Lauren was fighting for her life continues to guide her. At the Hospital for Sick Children, or SickKids, she saw a board listing children who had survived serious illness, which gave her hope.

“I always thought, ‘If we survive this, we’re going to need to give hope to other people in that situation,’” she said.

Chrislyn believes sharing Lauren’s survival story can help others facing similar challenges.

“She’s definitely proven and shown me that I do have courage,” she said.

Tickets for the event are available at speakerslam.org/events.

daniel@niagaranow.com