Zac’s Voice | Back on the Slopes, Back in His Voice

ElevenLabs| 00:05:23|Mar 19, 2026

Chapters7

The narrator describes a lifelong passion for skiing and the fear of losing the ability to ski, setting the emotional stage.

Zachary Braun reveals how ALS stole his speech, and how ElevenLabs’ voice tech kept his voice alive for him and his family.

Summary

Zachary Braun shares a deeply personal journey from lifelong skiing and banking to an ALS diagnosis that gradually silenced his voice. He recalls the shock of the diagnosis at Rush Hospital in Chicago and the emotional impact on his family as they faced the reality of losing his spoken voice. The story centers on how ElevenLabs’ voice technology became a lifeline, allowing Zach to communicate in a way that sounds like him and to preserve his vocal identity for loved ones. His wife Linda and his sons Ari and Ethan describe the emotional weight of hearing Zach’s preserved voice and the comfort it brings in everyday conversations. The family also highlights how adaptive sports, like the Steamboat ski trip with the Stars adaptive program, helped them reclaim moments of normalcy and togetherness. Throughout, Zach emphasizes that the sound of his voice is not lost, and that the technology gives him a sense of connectedness and agency amid the progression of ALS. The video closes with a poignant reminder of the resilience of family bonds and the power of voice, even when speech fades, to keep love and memory audible every day.

Key Takeaways

ElevenLabs’ voice app enabled Zach to maintain a recognizable vocal identity by assembling clips that preserve his voice for daily communication.
The preserved voice provides emotional continuity for Zach’s family, helping them hear him clearly during texting and speaking interactions.
Adaptive skiing with the Stars program at Steamboat offered Zach a renewed sense of exhilaration and family togetherness despite ALS.
Family support and community aid (friends, extended family, and the adaptive skiing group) play a critical role in maintaining quality of life after diagnosis.
Hearing Zach’s voice again helped his wife and sons reconnect with his presence and personality, reinforcing the value of voice preservation technologies.

Who Is This For?

Essential viewing for families facing ALS and tech enthusiasts curious about assistive voice synthesis, highlighting the human impact of voice-preservation tools and adaptive sports.

Notable Quotes

""My 11 Labs voice is my lifeline to communicate.""

—Zach explains the core benefit of using the 11 Labs voice for daily communication.

""The sound of my voice is not lost.""

—Emphasizes the emotional and identity continuity provided by the technology.

""I am in awe that the sound of my voice is preserved, how much it sounds like me.""

—Zach describes the impact of hearing his voice accurately reflected by the tech.

""Was it how I envisioned myself skiing? Not in a million years. But I set that aside and allowed myself to accept this new reality because my love for skiing is instilled in me forever.""

—Shows resilience and adaptation in the face of ALS while preserving a lifelong passion.

Questions This Video Answers

How does ElevenLabs preserve a person’s voice for ALS patients?
What is the Stars adaptive ski program at Steamboat and how does it help ALS patients?
How can voice synthesis help families cope with speech loss from ALS?
What are real-world examples of voice tech aiding communication after a diagnosis like ALS?
What inspired Zachary Braun to pursue ski-related experiences after diagnosis?

ALSLou Gehrig's diseaseVoice synthesisElevenLabsAdaptive skiingStars adaptive programSteamboat SpringsRush Hospital ChicagoFamily impact of ALS

Full Transcript

I've skied practically my whole life. I love the feeling it gives me deep in my soul. My dad instilled his passion of skiing in me at a very young age, which I in turn did with my two sons, Ari and Ethan. The thought of not being able to ski as I had for the majority of my life was a very difficult reality to face and one I was not prepared for. It didn't feel real. It felt like a terrible dream that I wanted to wake up from. [music] My name is Zachary Braun. I was diagnosed in March [music] 2024 with ALS, Lou Garrier's disease. I was formerly a banker for 21 years. I was dealing with strange [music] symptoms with my speech and throat that continued to worsen over the course of 2 years. We saw doctor after doctor who could not provide answers. We continued to run in circles until a doctor at [music] Rush Hospital in Chicago suggested I may have ALS. We stood there frozen. The world [music] stood still, yet it was swirling around us as we grasp the news that had just been delivered. A million thoughts [music] fly in and out and you are in complete disbelief. And truthfully, 2 years later, we still are. When he got diagnosed, you could immediately [music] see like progressively over the next year it just like getting worse and worse and worse and to the point where he just [music] isn't able to talk anymore, which is really hard to watch, especially as like the oldest [music] son. Like you're losing your dad. It was sad [music] because were we not going to hear his voice again? And the thought of that [music] um was hard. Um Zach lost his father. I lost my father. And one thing we often talk about is always remembering their voice and not forgetting what they sound like. So [music] that was something that I think this technology brings to life is that when he talks to us and communicates, [music] we still hear Zach. [singing] [laughter] [music] that [laughter] I went to Austin and Nashville with my high school friends. [music] They're super patient with me. It shows who's like real friends. My 11 Labs voice is my lifeline [music] to communicate. I am in awe that the sound of my voice is preserved, how much it [music] sounds like me, and that it allows me to communicate as myself, to hear my actual voice [music] when communicating. provides me with some sense of normaly and I think those I am communicating with appreciate hearing me and the voice they have always known. I hate that I [music] can no longer speak but having not lost the sound of myself is a gift that I am so grateful to have. [music] While our lives have become complex and difficult with many adjustments needed to be made, it's one thing that [music] we've been able to preserve and feels normal because it's me. The sound of my voice is not lost. [music] The voice app, it was amazing. I mean, just putting together, I know my mom talked about it. Putting together, you know, the clips of the voices, it [music] I almost started crying just hearing it cuz he wasn't able to talk while we were doing that. And it was just like hearing [music] how we used to sound was so amazing. And now that I can hear that every day when he types on [music] his phone is just incredible. Linda and I are so fortunate to be surrounded [music] by so much love and support from our friends and family. They have not only stepped up during this time, [music] but they have stepped in without hesitation. They show up and show up big. They find [music] ways to brighten our days and bring light into our home. We went on a family ski trip to Steamboat last March and my wife Linda connected with the adaptive ski program [music] there, Stars. They brought me an adaptive ski sled and I learned how to ski using it. I found myself [music] smiling, laughing, and feeling that wind in your face exhilaration I felt before. As I took in the [music] beautiful blue skies and mountains around me, I could hear people cheering me on from the chairlifts above me. [music] As I skied down, Ari and Ethan joined Linda and I, and we were back skiing as a family again. Was it how I envisioned myself skiing? Not in a million years. But I set that aside and allowed myself to accept this new reality because my love for skiing [music] is instilled in me forever. It was exhilarating. Right when we finished, I [music] asked if we could do it again.