Toney Welborn, MD, MPH, MS
Dr. Toney Welborn is a physician, childhood cancer survivor, above-knee amputee, traveler, and storyteller who has spent a lifetime learning what it means to move forward anyway.
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma as a teenager, Toney experienced life-altering surgery and chemotherapy before beginning her career in medicine. Her life since has included professional accomplishments, personal losses, unexpected challenges, and adventures that have shaped her understanding of resilience.
Through personal stories, humor, and practical perspectives, Toney explores resilience beyond relentless positivity or overcoming adversity. Her approach recognizes the strength found in surviving, succeeding, struggling, and accepting support.
She invites audiences to see their circumstances clearly, recognize both barriers and boundaries, question assumptions about what is possible, and find their own ways forward.
See Clearly. Move Forward.
Forward Anyway
45–60 minute keynote, breakout, or virtual presentation
Resilience isn’t about being endlessly strong, positive, or self-sufficient.
Through personal stories and humor, Dr. Toney Welborn explores resilience through surviving, succeeding, struggling, and accepting support. Audiences are invited to recognize the strength already present in their own stories, acknowledge reality without minimizing difficulties, and understand when to challenge barriers, recognize and maintain their own boundaries, or accept support.
Moving forward doesn’t always look the way we expected—and that’s okay.
Go Anyway
45–60 minute keynote, breakout, luncheon, or virtual presentation
What happens in the space between I want to and I can’t?
Drawing on her experiences with travel, disability, and everyday life, Toney uses humor, storytelling, and audience participation to explore how preparation, creativity, flexibility, and support can open unexpected possibilities.
Go Anyway isn’t about pretending limitations don’t exist or insisting anything is possible. It’s about questioning assumptions, finding alternative routes, and deciding for ourselves what counts.
Embracing Humility
45–60 minute keynote, breakout, lunch & learn, or virtual presentation
Being honest with ourselves is hard. Being honest with God shouldn’t be—but sometimes it is.
Through Scripture, personal stories, and candid humor, Toney explores humility as being real with ourselves and with God. Audiences consider how pride, uncertainty, disappointment, and the need for support shape their relationship with God.
Embracing Humility invites us to have the hard conversations, accept that we don’t have all the answers, and remain in relationship with God without pretending everything is fine.
