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Patricia Walsh

2012 Speaker

 Patricia Walsh delivers a message of overcoming obstacles, living beyond excuses and achieving to an individual’s full potential. Diagnosed with a severe pediatric brain tumor, Walsh became blind at age five due to complications of surgery. As a teenager she struggled with depression and hopelessness.  Today, she is a world champion triathlete and award-winning engineer. She has raced in over 12 marathons and ultra-marathons. In 2011 she set the world record for blind athletes, blowing away previous female and male records by over 80 minutes. Walsh is the National champion for the Olympic distance and recently secured Bronze for the United States in the Short Course World Championship in Beijing, China 2011. It is the mission of blind Ambition Speaking to help others overcome their fear of failure in order to achieve their highest aspirations. Walsh has a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, becoming one of the first blind engineers at Microsoft.