Sarah Nicole Landry @thebirdspapaya is a mom of 3, and advocate for body love and confidence. After years of self hate and a massive weight loss she felt would solve her problems, she shares her story to empower all ages to know they are worthy, beautiful and capable of amazing things. Normalizing what society has deemed “not ok” has generated some ground breaking discussions and landing Sarah two magazine covers, worldwide news coverage and a growing social media conversation that she hopes helps change the way women think of themselves and the world.
Olivia Lunny is a Canadian-born artist & songwriter. Her songs fuse together catchy pop melodies and alternative waves. Olivia’s debut EP in 2018 garnered her a Western Canadian Music Award nomination for “Pop Artist of the Year”. Her distinct vocals remain a constant throughout her various projects. Winning a “chosen artist” spot on CTV’s The Launch, led her to releasing her hit single “I Got You” (produced by Shaun Frank). Her eclectic sound, instrumentation, and elegant lyrics make for a modern, unique, and fresh combination.
Sonia Jhas is an award-winning health and wellness expert. Holding a Bachelor of Commerce and MBA degree from Queen’s University, Sonia Jhas is a certified personal trainer, nutrition specialist and media expert having been featured in some of Canada’s leading media outlets including Cityline, CP24, Breakfast Television, Huffington Post, Global Morning, National Post, CHCH, Notable.ca and many others. In January 2018 Sonia appeared on the cover of OptiMYz Magazine as Canada’s top health influencer. With a huge following of over 250,000 social media fans, Sonia Jhas has become one of the nation’s leading voices in health and wellness and is releasing her debut book in September 2019. For more information, visit www.soniajhas.com
Alli Walker is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Prince Edward Island. She moved to Toronto when she was 19 years old to ‘chase the dream’ and has never looked back. Now with hundreds of shows played and songs written, she is proud to finally release her debut album called The Basement Sessions: What I’ve Learned So Far. Walker calls her style of music ‘Mindful Music’ and ‘Conscious Country’ – authentic and vulnerable storytelling based on mental health issues, empowering messages, life’s hard lessons, and the tough questions we ask ourselves, delivered with the roots of old and new country. @alliwalkermusic
Being born without a right foot has never got in the way of Marrisa Papaconstantinou pursuing what she wanted to achieve in life. Originally a soccer and basketball player, Marissa fell in love with track after being fitted for her first running blade at the age of 12 at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She joined a local track club in Scarborough, the city she calls home. A year later, she was a Canadian record holder.
Marissa competed in her first World Championships at 16 years of age, making it to the finals of both the 100m and 200m. At the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, Marissa finished 9th in the 100m but was disqualified during the 200m finals for stepping on the line.
Seeking redemption at the 2017 World Championships, Marissa placed 6th in the 100m. Then while sprinting to the finish line in podium position in the 200m, Marissa tore her hamstring. Despite agonizing pain and heartbreak, she got up and finished the race in dramatic fashion, with the support of 40,000 cheering fans. Images from that moment went viral on social media all around the world.
Fully recovered from her injury, Marissa has continued to improve her personal best times and is now a solid medal favourite at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Off the track, Marissa is studying sports media at Ryerson University with aspirations of becoming a sports broadcaster. Marissa is an experienced public speaker sharing her messages and experiences to youth about never giving up, resiliency, and believing anything is possible
Janet is a dance instructor, performance coach and TV Host of WORK IT! which is a dance and style show that teaches audiences to move and look like their favourite pop star. In doing so, we provide inspiration for others to rock their own style and build confidence in their self-expression. Janet’s is passionate about motivating others to live their passions and go for their dreams, particularly young girls and women. Her credits include working with Jennifer Lopez, Christina Milian, Latin Grammy’s, PAN AM Games Ceremony, TEDx, Much Music, World of Dance.