Broadway star and New Jersey native Ali Stroker was only two when she became paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident.
But Ali prevailed. In fact, she made history twice -- as the first actress who uses a wheelchair for mobility to appear on Broadway and as the first actor using a wheelchair to win a Tony Award.
“Every human being has limitations; that’s a part of being human,” said Stroker, who won the Tony for best featured actress in a musical for “Oklahoma!” in 2019.
“I have this motto, ‘Turning my limitations into my opportunities,’ and what I mean by that is being in a wheelchair can be an opportunity for me to create really cool work as an actress.”
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What else can Ali Stroker do? She can write.
Stroker has just released a book for middle school readers, “The Chance to Fly,” on a topic close to her heart: It’s about a theater student who uses a wheelchair for mobility.
“What I love about this project is that it is reaching kids at an age where I was struggling most,” Stroker said in an interview. “I felt like this story and this content needs to be out there for somebody who feels different, for somebody who’s not sure they’re going to make it, for somebody that doesn’t really know where they fit in the world.”
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Stroker will talk about her book and her journey -- and perform -- at a fund-raiser for Einstein Health Network’s MossRehab on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
“Moss reached out to me and they asked me to come and speak and sing at their event and I was so excited to do it because of what they stand for and the work that they do for people with disabilities and people who have been injured,” Stroker said.
“Rehab is one of the most important phases of someone's recovery, and I'm just so impressed with what they do and the people who work there just care so much,” she said. “I’m really, really excited to be a part of what they’re doing.”
MossRehab’s Dr. Alberto Esquenazi said Stroker embodies the mission of the hospital -- to recover and also to excel.
“Using a wheelchair doesn't mean that you can't be a wonderful actress or a wonderful singer,” he said. “For me to see someone who has a physical disability be able to rise to this level of recognition, really goes to show it is not just about how we are but who we are.”
To support MossRehab, people can attend the event for $120 a ticket or they can visit MossRehab.com to donate.
