Anjali Forber-Pratt
Encyclopedia
Anjali Forber-Pratt is an American
wheelchair racer who competes in sprint
events at the Paralympic level.
Raised in Natick, Massachusetts
, Forber-Pratt was diagnosed with transverse myelitis
at four and a half months of age. The disorder left her paralyzed from the waist down. She began racing at the national level in 1993 with an appearance at the Junior National Wheelchair Games. She competed at the games three more times, in 1996, 1998, and 2003, and won a total of four gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. She is currently the American Record holder in the 200m. As a student at Natick High School
she also competed in downhill skiing before graduating in 2002.
Forber-Pratt attends the University of Illinois and is a member of the school's wheelchair track and field team. She has received a bachelor's
and master's degree
from Illinois and is currently working towards a doctorate
in human resource education.
Her first major international competition was the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janerio, where she won two gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter races and a bronze in the 400 meters. 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 and another bronze in the 4×100 meter relay T53–T54. She also competed in the 100 and 200 meters in Beijing, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively.
Forber-Pratt is also an advocate and was involved in a legal battle with her high school in 2002, fighting for equal access to education for students with disabilities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wheelchair racer who competes in sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
events at the Paralympic level.
Raised in Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
, Forber-Pratt was diagnosed with transverse myelitis
Transverse myelitis
Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder caused by an inflammatory process of the spinal cord, and can cause axonal demyelination. The name is derived from Greek referring to the "spinal cord", and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation...
at four and a half months of age. The disorder left her paralyzed from the waist down. She began racing at the national level in 1993 with an appearance at the Junior National Wheelchair Games. She competed at the games three more times, in 1996, 1998, and 2003, and won a total of four gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. She is currently the American Record holder in the 200m. As a student at Natick High School
Natick High School
Natick High School is a public high school serving students in grades 9-12 in Natick, Massachusetts. The school is located on the banks of Lake Cochituate. It enrolled 1189 students as of the 2005-06 school year. Rose Bertucci is currently the interim principal after the retirement of former...
she also competed in downhill skiing before graduating in 2002.
Forber-Pratt attends the University of Illinois and is a member of the school's wheelchair track and field team. She has received a bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Illinois and is currently working towards a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in human resource education.
Her first major international competition was the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janerio, where she won two gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter races and a bronze in the 400 meters. 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 and another bronze in the 4×100 meter relay T53–T54. She also competed in the 100 and 200 meters in Beijing, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively.
Forber-Pratt is also an advocate and was involved in a legal battle with her high school in 2002, fighting for equal access to education for students with disabilities.