Speaking



love sharing my story, traveling, and meeting new people. I’d be thrilled to come spend some time with your organization. Below, I’ve listed some information that will help you decide whether I would be a good fit for your event. If you’d like to discuss in more detail, email us.

Scroll down for testimonials from past events!

Speaker Bio:

Born with a rare birth defect called AMC that left her arms hanging almost useless at her sides, Sarah Kovac’s 29 years have been full of challenges. At the age of 2, she began using her feet to feed herself, and they have been doing the work of hands ever since. Sarah graduated high school in 2001, and went on to attend Missouri Western State University with a scholarship to play the trumpet there. After trying out several majors, she finally settled on English, with an emphasis in journalism. During these college years, she met and married Adam Kovac, who is also from St. Joseph. Prior to Sarah’s senior year, Adam and Sarah were excited to learn that they were expecting a baby. Public reaction to her pregnancy was mixed, as some were concerned that Sarah might not be physically up to the task. Without a doubt, being a mother has presented Sarah with a whole world of new and shifting obstacles. In the beginning, she wasn’t sure how she would even hold him or get him in and out of a crib. The moment she adapts to Ethan’s needs, he grows and his needs change. Parenthood has been an exercise in patience and creativity for both Sarah and Adam, who often is given the difficult task of standing back and allowing his wife to struggle through a situation. They have been glad to discover that there has been no difficulty they couldn’t handle as long as they leaned on each other, and God. In April of 2010, Sarah was reading the news on CNN.com and saw that they were asking for stories of families dealing with disabilities. She uploaded a video of a typical morning for them (i.e. her feeding and changing him with her feet), and two days later Sarah and Ethan were CNN’s headline news. Since that time, Sarah has been blessed to have many opportunities to share her story in churches, classrooms, and auditoriums. She was honored to meet other individuals with AMC when she spoke at the AMC Conference, and has found tremendous joy in speaking encouragement to parents of children with the disability. In 2011, Sarah signed with The Blythe Daniel Agency, and entered into contract with Abingdon Press in the spring of 2012. Her first book, In Capable Arms: Living a Life Embraced by Grace, w released in hardcover September 17, 2013.

Endorsements:

“Sarah is a wonderful speaker with an inspiring message, her sense of humor and personality make her a rare gem.” Denise Rinard, Learning Resource Coordinator

 

“I loved having Sarah Kovac visit us at our spring women’s conference, ’In His Arms.’ Sarah is amazing! She’s warm and friendly and is so confident with her ‘disability’ that she doesn’t seem to have a disability at all. People of all ages will enjoy her and will come away from her presentation with a fresh appreciation for the way God works in our lives. I can’t wait to read her book!” -Marcy Lucas, Women’s Leadership Team

 

“I believe that handicapped individuals as well as those who have never suffered severely from a physical disability have much to learn from Sarah.” Stephanie Glenn, Attendee

 

“Sarah shared her struggles with humor, dignity and grace. Not everyone has AMC but we all have barriers and she in a inspiration in dealing with barriers and overcoming challenges.” Kim Hubbard, Attendee

 

“Sarah is encouraging, being a parent of handicapped son, she gave me belief that God knew what he was doing when he created my son… God may not heal the disability, but he heals the heart and lets us accept it and to grow in his love and trust him that he picks us just the way he wants us!” Beth Wilson, Attendee

 

“I was impressed with her humbleness as she presented. Her willingness to show us her struggles, how she dealt with them, relied on God and to let us all know that we too can hope in our struggles in life.” Carol French, Attendee

 

“Sarah’s presentation was excellent. She kept the audience engaged and had a great story to tell. I received feedback from my students on how they enjoyed hearing from our guest speaker. My students appreciated our guest speaker and gave them inspiration to take their education into the field of their choice. Thank you Sarah for sharing your story which I personally took so much from.” Shaun Riggins, Campus Director

 

“Whenever I feel down or feel like I can’t accomplish something I am going to think of [Sarah]…”  Vicki Mcclurg, Instructor

 

“Sarah Kovac is an inspirational speaker for the masses. [She] renewed my life.” Jason Cook, Instructor

 

“Very inspirational.” Jim Coots, Program Director

 

“Sarah has a powerful testimony of overcoming adversity that I’ll not soon forget. Her love for God, family, and others shines through everything she shares and I was very encouraged after hearing her speak!” Ken Maxey, Pastor

 

“Sarah Kovac has an inspirational message that appeals to any age level. She has an amazing life story that encourages all of us to keep going and trusting God, no matter what we face in life.” Jeanette Marriott, Event Coordinator

 

“Sarah tells a powerful story of learning to accept who she is – an imperfect child of God. She sees her disability as a challenge to face and an opportunity to learn dependence on God.” Jane Reynolds, Women’s Ministry Team

 

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