What you see isn’t what you get
You could say that my public speaking career started when I was just three years old.
In those days strangers would repeatedly walk up to my mom, point at me, and then bluntly ask, “What happened to the little boy?”
Mom’s typical reply was, “Ask him! He’s not stupid!”
If you’ve never met me before, you’re probably wondering what happened to me.
The answer is thalidomide, a dangerous drug that my biological mother was given during her pregnancy. As a result, I was born without arms.
Overwhelmed, my birth family abandoned me when I was just five days old. And you know what? That was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Hilda (aka “Mom”) and Jack (aka “Dad”) Law were the 1960’s version of empty nesters. While Dad worked long hours as a service manager at an International Harvester dealership, Mom started a short-term foster home to stay busy.
These foster kids were often troubled adolescents. Yet that never phased Hilda. “We don’t care what happened to you,” she would say, “but we do care about what can happen in your life!”
It’s this attitude that’s made me who I am today.
I’ve spent my life doing things that I wasn’t supposed to do.
That makes me sound rebellious, and I guess I was a rebel in my own way. It’s just that my rebellion involved things like playing trombone and driving a car – with my feet.
Throughout my childhood, I stunned doctors and social workers with my “accomplishments.” With all the “normal” things I learned to do in very not normal ways.
All because I refused to let other people’s labels and limitations hold me back.
After all those years of talking, I figured that I should pursue a career where I’d be paid to talk. So I studied broadcasting at Mount Royal College and graduated with honours in 1980.
That led me to CFMQ FM in Regina, where a station manager gave me my first radio gig. He was taken aback when he learned that I didn’t have any arms. Quite frankly, he wasn’t sure if I could do the job.
“Well,” I said, “I edited that demo tape you heard by using a razor blade in my toes.”
That was enough to land me an overnight shift.
I only spent 2 years working in radio. While doing that, I accepted every invitation that I was offered to share my story with other people. I appeared on telethons, spoke at school assemblies, and eventually took positions in the public sector, advocating for the disabled.
Whatever I was doing, I kept coming back to this first love: telling people who I was and what I’d done with my life.
But it was never about me. My story was simply a vehicle. I wanted every person in every audience to see themselves differently after they heard me. To see how their obstacles were actually amazing opportunities.
As you can probably imagine, I don’t exactly blend in. I don’t get to hide in a group of people, even when I want to. I am stared at every time I step outside my front door.
Yet, I’ve learned that this sometimes-unwanted attention is actually a gift. I can’t even begin to count the number of incredible conversations I’ve had. The number of times I’ve humbly heard, “Alvin, your story changed my life.”
I truly consider it a privilege to show others that they don’t need to feel sorry for me. To show them that I am blessed beyond belief. Because when they see that, they begin to see that the same thing is true for them, too.
Since 1981, I have spoken to over 2,000,000 people on five different continents.
I use my incredible true story to challenge every audience on a personal level. People who first heard me as long as forty years ago describe me as the most memorable speaker they’ve ever experienced.
The people I talk to always leave inspired. They’ve begun to see how they’ve let their own limitations hold them back and how they can overcome their obstacles. “If Alvin can do it,” they say, “so can I!”
And they’re right.
Are you ready to see beyond this moment and explore what your life can be?
Let’s talk!
Are you ready to see beyond this moment and explore what your life can be? Let’s talk!
Alvin’s recognition
Awards
- Saskatchewan Junior Citizen of the Year, 1978
- Vanier Award for Outstanding Young Canadians, 1982
- Mount Royal College (now University) Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1983
- Canadian Progress Club Canadian of the Year, 1989
- Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002
- Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), 2005
- Canadian Speakers Hall of Fame (HoF), 2009
- Canadian Disability Hall of Fame, 2018
- Golden Key International Honor Society, Honorary Member, 2018
- Peter Legge Philanthropic Award, 2022
Television shows, documentaries, and movie credits
- TeleMiracle Telethon, on air host & performer, 1977-2001
- Alvin, His Best Foot Forward (Documentary), 1978
- Variety Show of Hearts, BC, on air host & performer, 1982-Present
- Broken Promises (Thalidomide Documentary), CBC, 1989
- Joan Rivers Show (TV,) 1989
- Performed on “Let's Be Friends” video for Tickle Toon Typhoon, 1989
- Appeared on “Sonya Live in L.A.” on CNN, 1989
- How’d They Do That? (TV Series), CBS, 1992
- Extraordinary People (Documentary) CBC, 1993
- FrontRunners (TV Series), ABC, 1993
- The X-Files, Humbug, S2, E20 (Fox TV Series), 1995
- Julien Donkey Boy (Movie), 1999
- Nike European commercial, introduction of the Nike Free, 2007
- Tiger Tom (Short), 2008
- Good Morning Antigua & Barbuda Show, ABS-TV, 2009
- Alberta Prime Time (TV Series), Trailblazers, CTV Calgary, 2015
- The Real Superhumans, UK Paralympic Commercial, Channel 4 UK, 4creative, London, 2016
- Master of Ceremonies at the Yorkton International Film Festival, 2016
- No Limits, The Thalidomide Saga, The Thalidomide Story, 2016
- Change The Label, Video by GoalCast on YouTube and Facebook, 2018
- What Happened To You? How do you go to the bathroom?, Video by GoalCast on YouTube and Facebook, 2019
- Why Labels Don't Define You, Video by GoalCast on YouTube and Facebook, 2020
Music accolades and highlights
- Alvin’s School Band performed for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Yorkton, SK, 1978
- Recorded the soundtrack for the Superhuman video at Abbey Road Studios, promoting the Rio Paralympics, 2016
- Shared a stage with Katy Perry at the True Colors Festival Concerts, Tokyo, 2022
- Alvin named an official Ludwig brand drummer, 2023
A small sample of news features and articles
The National Enquirer, International
The Guardian
Calgary Herald (front cover)
The Nation Thailand (newspaper)
The Bangkok Post
SPR (Mexico)
NHK-TV (Japan)
Values that guide the way
Authenticity
Being real with yourself and others
Because it’s about being true to your spirit and leading with what you have.
Humility
Embracing the absence of ego
Connecting with people using compassion and generosity in all areas of life.
Gratitude
Being thankful for everything
Celebrating our lives as a gift by appreciating what we have, not what we’re missing.
Professional
Developing mastery in your craft
Spending time on personal development, cultivating top-notch skills and accountability.
Relatability
Connecting deeply with others
Respecting people’s perspectives because we all have one thing in common: humanity.
Resilience
Adapting to challenging life experiences
Never give up! We get one life and what we do with it is… everything.
Values that guide
the way
Authenticity
Being real with yourself and others
Because it’s about being true to your spirit and leading with what you have.
Humility
Embracing the absence of ego
Connecting with people using compassion and generosity in all areas of life.
Gratitude
Being thankful for everything
Celebrating our lives as a gift by appreciating what we have, not what we’re missing.
Professional
Developing mastery in your craft
Spending time on personal development, cultivating top-notch skills and accountability.
Relatability
Connecting deeply with others
Respecting people’s perspectives because we all have one thing in common: humanity.
Resilience
Adapting to challenging life experiences
Never give up! We get one life and what we do with it is… everything.
I’m on a mission to inspire people to
live with more gratitude and hope.