Anjali Forber-Pratt

Anjali Forber-Pratt (born June 22, 1984) is an American wheelchair racer who competes in sprint events at the Paralympic level. She is currently an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Human & Organizational Development.[1]

Anjali Forber-Pratt, Ph.D.
Forber-Pratt at the 2012 Paralympics in London
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born (1984-06-22) June 22, 1984
Kolkata, India
ResidenceNatick, Massachusetts, U.S.
Sport
Disability classT53
Coached byAdam Bleakney
Medal record
Women's para athletics
Representing  United States
Paralympic Games
2008 Beijing 400 m T53
2008 Beijing 4x100 m T53/54
World Championships
2011 Christchurch200 m T53
2011 Christchurch100 m T53
2011 Christchurch400 m T53
2011 Christchurch4x400 m T53-54

Born in Kolkata, India and abandoned by her mother, Forber-Pratt was adopted by Lawrence Pratt and Rosalind Forber when she was two and a half months old. Raised in Natick, Massachusetts, Forber-Pratt was diagnosed with transverse myelitis when she was four-and-a-half months old; the disorder left her paralyzed from the waist, down.[2] Forber-Pratt began racing at the national level in 1993 with an appearance at the Junior National Wheelchair Games, and went on to compete at the games three more times—in 1996, 1998, and 2003—winning a total of four gold, six silver, and two bronze medals.[3] She previously held the World Record [4] and American Record holder in the 200-meter.[5] As a student at Natick High School, Forber-Pratt also competed in downhill skiing before graduating in 2002.[2][3]

Forber-Pratt is a three-time graduate from the University of Illinois and is an alumni member of the school's wheelchair track and field team.[2] She has received a bachelor's and master's degree [3] in Speech Language Pathology from Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Education in May 2012.[6]

Her first major international competition was the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro,[2] where she won two gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter races and a bronze in the 400-meter.[3] At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, she won a bronze medal in the 400-meter T53 event with a personal best time of 56.79 seconds[7] and another bronze in the 4×100-meter relay T53–T54. She also competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter in Beijing, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively. She competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London on Team USA in the 100m, 200m and 400m T53 events.

Forber-Pratt is a Board member of the Transverse Myelitis Association.[8] The Transverse Myelitis Association is a not-for-profit international foundation dedicated to the support of children, adolescents, and adults with a spectrum of rare neuro-immune disorders including: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD), Optic Neuritis (ON) and Transverse Myelitis (TM), including Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM). It was founded in 1994 by family members and individuals with these diagnoses and provides education, outreach and access to a clinical care network for these rare conditions. Forber-Pratt was a Board Member of Disabled Sports USA for many years. Founded in 1967, Disabled Sports USA is an organization that provides opportunities for more than 60,000 youth, wounded warriors, and adults with disabilities each year to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in disabled sports.[9]

Forber-Pratt is also a disability advocate, and in 2002 was involved in a legal battle with her high school, fighting for equal access to education for students with disabilities.[10] Forber-Pratt was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change [11] by President Barack Obama in 2013 and participated in a roundtable discussion about disability policy issues with several key disability leaders.[12] In August 2017, Forber-Pratt received the Athletes in Excellence Award from The Foundation for Global Sports Development in recognition of her community service efforts and work with youth.[13] In 2019, she was featured by the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change as part of the #SheInnovates campaign[14]

References
  1. "Anjali Forber-Pratt". Vanderbilt University. 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  2. Breitrose, Charlie (July 3, 2008). "She is among the elite". Natick Bulletin and Tab. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  3. "Anjali Forber-Pratt". United States Olympic Committee. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  4. "Three world records at IPC athletics worlds". Stuff. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  5. "Records fall on day two". United States Olympic Committee. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  6. "Amazing Anjali Forber-Pratt Continues to Amaze ... That's Doctor Anjali". 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  7. Bourgeois, Beth (September 10, 2008). "Three Medals for U.S. Track & Field Team; Jamison and Galli Win Gold, Forber-Pratt Comes Away with Bronze". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  8. TMA website
  9. Disabled Sports USA website = Board Members Archived January 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "A disabled student's battle could aid others' struggles". sci.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  11. "Challenges + Competitions = Champions". whitehouse.gov. 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  12. "Roundtable Discussion with President Barack Obama | Anjali Forber-Pratt". anjaliforberpratt.com. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  13. "Ten Athletes Selected to Receive The Foundation for Global Sports Development's 2017 Athletes in Excellence Award". aroundtherings.com. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  14. "#sheinnovates stories". #sheinnovates stories. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
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