“Learn to Inspire the Survivor Within.” ©

Welcome. You’re not alone — and Cindy Charlton is living proof that even in the deepest valleys, hope still rises.

Cindy Charlton is a passionate and powerful speaker whose message of resilience, healing, and unwavering hope has touched hearts across generations. Her voice comes not just from a place of wisdom, but from the depths of lived experience. As a triple amputee, her story of survival will not only amaze you but give you hope and inspiration to appreciate and make the most of every precious moment. Cindy has a Master’s degree in psychology and is an active member of the Colorado Coalition of working amputees, (CCWA). She, along with the other members of the CCWA, helped write and pass the Prosthetic Parity bill, for the state of Colorado, which was signed into law in 2000. She helped organize and facilitate an amputee support group in the Denver/Metro area and is a certified peer counselor through the Amputee Coalition.

Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Cindy to serve on the state regulatory board for Physical Therapists in 2012, and she serves on the Continuing Competency Committee for Physical Therapists in Colorado. Cindy is known as the “Disability Diva,” from her training programs on disability etiquette and the ADA for corporations and non-profits. Her disability etiquette presentation, “What Do You Say to a One-Armed Lady” has been accredited for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) including one credit for the ethics portion of CLE’s.

Cindy is a contributing columnist for the inMotion magazine and is published in Progenitor literary journal, spring 2013 edition. She has been recently nominated for the Pushcart literary award 2015. She is a contributing author to four Chicken Soup for the Soul Books, including Family Caregivers, Power of Positive, Angels Among Us, and From Lemons to Lemonade. Cindy writes about her life as a Survivor on her blog entitled “The Survivor’s Handbook.” She is the mother of two sons, which she believes is her most important job, and the biggest blessing in her life.

Cindy believes that “if you only look at what you’ve lost, you will never be able to see what you have.”

Cindy Charlton is one of the most courageous and inspirational individuals I have ever met. She made me take a whole new look at my own life and my own priorities. Cindy describes herself as a survivor. But Cindy has turned surviving into an art form, and she truly is a maestro.

Maggie Romigh
Community Coordinator, San Miguel County and Mora County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico

Cindy Charlton at the Kiwanis Club delivering a speech and afterward receiving a certificate
of appreciation.

 GED graduates at the Colorado Women’s prison listen attentively as Cindy Charlton delivers her inspirational message.