Ottawa-Area Author, 71, Becomes Oldest Finalist in Inspirational Speaking Finals History

At 71, Almonte author Lilly White is the oldest speaker ever to reach the finals of Speaker Slam®, North America's largest inspirational speaking competition. On November 21 at CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, she will compete for Inspirational Speaker of the Year. The finals fall on International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. White lost her daughter Melanie to suicide in 2012 and has spent the years since rebuilding, writing, and teaching others to begin again.

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ALMONTE, ON, NOVEMBER 11th, 2026 – At 71, Lilly White is the oldest speaker to reach the finals in the 10-year history of Speaker Slam®, North America's largest inspirational speaking competition. The Almonte author of 10 books, written while living with dyslexia, will compete for the title of Inspirational Speaker of the Year on Saturday, November 21, at the 10th Annual Grand Slam: Inspirational Speaking Finals at CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

White entered her first speaking competition this year and has no plans to slow down. "I could choose to say, well, I'm 71, I have to retire," says White. "We don't need to do that. It doesn't matter if we're 20 or 120. It is a matter of choices in our life."

The finals land on International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a day for people who have lost someone to suicide to gather for healing and support. White is one of them. Her daughter Melanie died by suicide in 2012. It came in the middle of three years of loss. The family home burned in 2010, and her mother died of cancer in 2013. After 22 years sober, the grief took her back to drinking. She wrote her way through it, got sober again, and has been open about the relapse ever since.

Losing Melanie taught her that the anger we hold onto with the people we love can cost us the time we have left with them. It is the lesson at the centre of her work today.

"Being right is not always as important as being present," White says. "We can judge less, forgive sooner and show up more."

White has spent more than 25 years guiding people through life's hardest transitions as a speaker, workshop leader, and founder of Power Up Your Life. She is hoping to follow last year's winner, Michelle Weger, who became the first Inspirational Speaker of the Year from Ottawa.

"Love does not require agreement," she says, "and forgiveness does not require approval."

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 9-8-8, Canada's suicide crisis helpline, available 24 hours a day.

The Grand Slam closes the 10th anniversary season of Speaker Slam®. The top speakers from five themed competitions held in Toronto in 2026, joined by the Wild Card Race finalists, each deliver a new five-minute speech in front of eight industry judges. The winner is named Inspirational Speaker of the Year and receives $5,000 in cash and a prize package valued at up to $50,000, including a publishing package from sponsor partner Lucky Book Publishing with a billboard feature in New York's Times Square. A livestream is available for viewers watching from the Ottawa Valley.

Event Details

• Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026

• Time: Doors open at 6:00 PM; show begins at 7:00 PM

• Location: CBC Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West, Toronto, ON

• Meet the Speakers: Click Here

Tickets: $100 general admission; $25 livestream. Available at www.speakerslam.com/events

Notes to editors

About Speaker Slam®

Speaker Slam® is a premier speaker development agency and the home of North America's largest inspirational speaking competition. Founded in Toronto in 2016, Speaker Slam amplifies authentic voices and supports speakers in turning personal challenges into messages that create impact. Its events have been featured on CityNews, CTV News, Breakfast Television, Global News, and OMNI News. @SpeakerSlam

About Lilly White

Lilly White is a Life Transition Expert, Resilience Speaker, and Recovery Advocate. She is the founder of Power Up Your Life, a personal-growth teaching practice that helps people understand their own behavior patterns, navigate change, and rebuild, built on her trademarked method, Tools for Intuitive Living. She built her expertise over 25 years of teaching, workshops, and international retreats, and is the author of 10 books, written while living with dyslexia. Her latest book, She Who Remembers Herself, is an invitation to women to rise to their purpose and live authentically in their true essence. In recovery since 1991, Lilly has rebuilt her life through profound loss and reinvented herself across careers in banking, radio, publishing, sales, and retail. She has led transformational journeys to Bali for over two decades and won a Mississippi Mills Chamber of Commerce award for bringing spirituality into the mainstream. She has been featured on CTV News Ottawa, CHCH Morning Live, and Rogers television. @lillywhitesoul

Media Opportunities

Lilly White is available for interviews until November 19. She travels to Toronto on November 20.

For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:

• Dan Shaikh | Co-Founder & Publicist, Speaker Slam®

• Email: hello@changemakerpr.com | Phone: 416.616.3247