Our Speakers / Orla Comerford
Speaker · Orla Comerford
Breaking Limits: Resilience, Identity and Creative Confidence
Double World Para Athletics Champion & Paralympic Medallist.
What Orla brings
In the room.
Paralympian Orla Comerford is a double World Para-Athletics Champion and Paralympic bronze medallist, and offers a compelling voice on confidence, identity, and inclusive leadership. A three-time Paralympian, she has represented Ireland at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 where she sprinted to a breakout bronze medal in the T13 100m and was Ireland’s Opening Ceremony flag bearer.
In 2025, Orla reached the pinnacle of her sport at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, becoming a double World Champion over 100m and 200m. Combined with European Championship medals and a personal best set at the Oslo Diamond League, she continues to elevate Ireland’s Para-Sprinting presence on the global stage.
Diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a progressive visual impairment, at just 11, Orla’s story is one of navigating evolving identity while performing under pressure. Her speaking explores resilience, self-belief, and leading with authenticity.
Articulate, and energetic, Orla engages audiences across corporate environments, education, and DEI forums. She blends elite sport insights with lived experience to deliver actionable strategies for adapting to change, building confidence, and fostering cultures where difference is a competitive advantage.
Ideal For
DEI and Belonging Programs
Youth Leadership and Empowerment Initiatives
Creative Industry and Arts-Based Events
Corporate Resilience and Performance Mindset Workshops
University and Student Wellbeing Conferences
Keynote speaking themes
Ways to inspire.
Breaking Barriers
Building resilience through setbacks
Performance Mindset
Staying focused when it matters most
Confidence and Identity
Owning your story in sport, work, and life
Creative Problem-Solving
Lessons from sport and the arts
Inclusion and Representation
Championing diverse voices and perspectives
Authentic, creative, and engaging. Orla blends elite performance experience with a creative, solutions-focused mindset—offering audiences practical tools and inspiration for overcoming their own challenges.
Our speakers
More speakers.
Ciara Mageean
European Champion. Olympian. Global Voice for Resilience and Representation.
Phil Healy
Olympian. European Medallist. One of Ireland’s Fastest-Ever Women.
Book Orla.
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