Spencer West
International Motivational Speaker, Disabled Content Creator, Author and Social Media Influencer
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Spencer West
Biography
Spencer West is a globally renowned keynote speaker, author, content creator, and activist whose life embodies resilience, creativity, and the power of redefining what’s possible. Born with a rare genetic condition that resulted in the loss of his legs at the age of five, Spencer has spent his life challenging expectations - using adversity and lived experience as a catalyst for impact.
Today, Spencer is one of the most recognizable and influential disability advocates in the world. With a social community of over 4 million followers on TikTok, millions more across Instagram and YouTube, and a growing global audience, Spencer combines humor, vulnerability, and powerful insight to challenge assumptions about disability, belonging, and identity.
Spencer first captured international attention when he summited Mount Kilimanjaro using his hands and wheelchair, a seven-day, 19,340-foot ascent completed to raise awareness and funds for clean water and global education. The climb became the basis for the feature documentary Redefine Possible: The Story of Spencer West, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and spotlighted Spencer’s belief that we can help reduce barriers—physical or otherwise— through community collaboration, courageous vulnerability, and creativity.
Spencer’s bestselling memoir, Standing Tall: My Journey, chronicles his early life, the loss of his legs, and the experiences that shaped his resilience and purpose. His forthcoming book, Breaking Free, Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself (Hay House, May 2026) offers a powerful and more vulnerable look at Spencer’s journey, blending personal stories with practical guidance on shedding expectations, embracing identity, and living authentically.
Spencer has spoken to audiences worldwide, from educational institutions and corporations to global leadership arenas, inspiring millions to challenge their assumptions and lead with empathy. He has shared the stage with prominent figures such as Mia Farrow, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Sheen, Martin Luther King III, and Natalie Portman, and was the opener for the North American portion of the Demi Lovato World Tour, bringing his message to audiences of tens of thousands.
Spencer has been featured on ABC News, CBS This Morning, CTV, and in The Globe and Mail, among others. Whether he’s climbing mountains, sharing his journey online, or helping audiences rethink their relationship to adversity, Spencer continues to spark meaningful global conversations about disability, inclusion, pride, and possibility. His work reminds us that challenges & expectations do not define us; how we respond and navigate them does. Spencer currently resides in Toronto, Canada.
Spencer West
Featured Keynote Programs
Redefine Possible
Lesson for Tackling Mountains in Life
Spencer West invites audiences to experience the transformation that can occur when we “redefine possible”. With his trademark humor and humility, Spencer spins a spellbinding story of the challenges he faced after losing his legs from the pelvis down at age five, and the journey of discovery that ultimately enabled him to summit Mount Kilimanjaro using his hands and wheelchair.
Spencer applies the insights gleaned from a lifetime of overcoming obstacles to help leaders and employees identify their own roadblocks and push past them. His inspiring message and tangible life lessons motivate audiences to believe they can tackle any goal, whether personal or professional.
Leveraging Talent with Disabilities
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) – can be customized for LGBTQ+ themes
Join Spencer West in this interactive, presentation/fireside chat where he will discuss not only why you should leverage talent with disabilities, but also how.
The life of visionary and activist Spencer West has been marked by both obstacles and triumph. After losing both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five, he entered a world that might have easily defeated him. Instead, he tackled challenge after challenge, learning to navigate in a world set against those with disabilities.
From climbing the workforce ladder to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Spencer shares his insights on how bringing in talent with disabilities can have a very positive impact on your employees and customers.
*20-30-minute talk with video/pp followed by a 10-20-minute Q&A moderated by the host + 10-20-minute moderated Q&A with the audience. Time is flexible, depending on the client’s needs.
Diversability: Leveraging Disabled & LGBTQ+ Talent
Diversability: Leveraging Disabled & LGBTQ+ Talent
Join Spencer West in this thought provoking and genuinely enlightening presentation where he will discuss the importance of leveraging talent with disabilities as well as the queer community and how both identities are necessary in the workforce. The life of visionary and activist Spencer West has been marked by both obstacles and triumph. After losing both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five and coming out as gay at the age of 21, he entered a world that might have easily defeated him. Instead, he tackled challenge after challenge, learning to navigate in a world set against the queer community and those with disabilities. From climbing the workforce ladder to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Spencer shares his insights on how bringing in talent with disabilities and the queer community can have a positive impact on your employees and clients.
Redefine Possible
Lessons for Tackling Mountains in Your Personal and Professional World
Spencer invites audiences to experience the transformation that can occur when we “redefine possible”. With his trademark humour and humility, Spencer spins a spellbinding story of the challenges he faced after losing his legs from the pelvis down at age five, and the journey of discovery that ultimately enabled him to summit Mount Kilimanjaro using his hands and wheelchair.
Spencer applies the insights gleaned from a lifetime of overcoming obstacles to help leaders and employees identify their own roadblocks and push past them. His inspiring message and tangible life lessons motivate business audiences to believe they can tackle any goal, whether personal or professional.
Spencer West
Featured Book
Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself
by Spencer West
From social media star and motivational speaker Spencer West, an inspirational guide that shows you how to be the person you were meant to be all along.
You might think that the hardest mountain Spencer West had to climb was Mount Kilimanjaro, but as he tells it, the real challenge was learning to overcome the everyday mountains we all face: anxiety, self-doubt, and the pressure to live up to the expectations of others.
Born without the use of his legs, Spencer discovered that the path he was told to follow only led to frustration and unfulfillment. With unrelenting candor and unexpected humor, Spencer shares his own experience of listening to his heart and creating a life defined by authenticity, not approval, to help you:
Dig deep and uncover who you were always meant to be
Pursue your passions fearlessly
Embrace the life that you want to live on your own terms
The road to self-discovery is certainly filled with vulnerability, but once you stop seeking permission to be yourself, you’ll find your most powerful and authentic self awaits you on the other side.
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