Why I’ll Never Let My Disabilities Define Me

By Justine Martin – Speaker | Author | Resilience Advocate

When I first heard the words "you’ll never work again," it felt like a full stop. A diagnosis. A label. A life sentence.

Multiple Sclerosis. Cancer. An Acquired Brain Injury. Chronic illness after chronic illness. Each one came with its own battles, and each tried to box me into an identity I never chose.

But here’s what I realised early on: My disabilities are part of my story. They are not my whole story.

And I refuse to let them define me.

I Am Not My Diagnoses

When people see the list of health conditions I live with, they often see limitations. But what I see and what I choose to show the world is possibility.

Yes, my body faces challenges every day that most people can't see. Yes, there are times when MS fatigue, brain fog, or mobility issues force me to slow down.

But those moments don’t erase my abilities, my dreams, or my worth.

I am an entrepreneur. I am an international speaker. I am an award-winning author. I am a fierce advocate for resilience. I am a mother, a grandmother, and a friend.

And yes, I happen to live with disability too.

Disability Is a Chapter, Not the Whole Book

My life is a series of chapters some joyful, some devastating, some gritty and real. Disability entered my story midway. It changed the plot, yes. It threw in new obstacles, rewrote timelines, and shifted dreams.

But it didn’t end the story.

In fact, it gave me new chapters of strength, creativity, courage, and connection that I might never have discovered otherwise.

Disability added depth to my resilience, not limits to my life.

Choosing to Redefine Strength

Strength isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about adapting, rising, and finding a new way forward.

For me, resilience means:

• Running five businesses despite being told I couldn't work again.

• Competing in Strongman events as an all-abilities athlete.

• Publishing my story and helping others publish theirs.

• Standing on stages around the world, using my voice to lift others higher.

• Showing up on the hard days, even if it’s with a limp, a laugh, or a cry.

Strength looks different for all of us. And strength that adapts is just as powerful, if not more so, than strength that looks flawless.

I Won’t Hide, Apologise, or Shrink

For a long time, society made people with disabilities feel invisible or worse, like burdens. I refuse to live small because someone else is uncomfortable with my journey.

I wear my story with pride. I speak it from the stage. I teach it in my resilience workshops. I live it, breathe it, and honour it every single day.

I am proud of how far I’ve come. And I’m just getting started.

Final Thoughts: More Than Labels, More Than Limits

If you take anything away from my journey, let it be this:

You are not your diagnosis. 

You are not your worst day. 

You are not your limitations.

You are still you capable, worthy, powerful. 

You are allowed to live big, dream loud, and love fiercely disability and all.

Because life isn’t about bouncing back to who you were. 

It’s about bouncing forward into who you are becoming.

And who am I becoming? 

She’s unstoppable. 

Just you watch.

Looking for a keynote speaker who speaks from real-life resilience? I’d love to bring my story and the lessons I’ve learned to your next event. Let’s create impact together.

📩 Contact: hello@justinemartin.com.au  🌐 Website: www.justinemartinspeaker.com.au