Anjali Forber-Pratt (born June 22, 1984) is an American
wheelchair racer
Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted (when combined with another ...
who competes in
sprint events at the
Paralympic
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
level. She is currently the Director of the
(NIDILRR).
Before that, she was an assistant professor at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
in the Department of Human & Organizational Development.
Life
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
Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...
, Forber-Pratt was diagnosed with
transverse myelitis
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a rare neurological condition wherein the spinal cord is inflamed. The adjective ''transverse'' implies that the spinal inflammation (myelitis) extends horizontally throughout the cross section of the spinal cord; the ...
when she was four-and-a-half months old; the disorder left her paralyzed from the waist, down.
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.
She previously held the World Record and American Record holder in the 200-meter.
As a student at
Natick High School
Natick High School is an urban/suburban public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12 in Natick, Massachusetts, United States. The school is located on the banks of Dug Pond. Its enrollment was 1,603 students during the 2015–2016 schoo ...
, Forber-Pratt also competed in
downhill skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping), w ...
before graduating in 2002.
Forber-Pratt is a three-time graduate from the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
and is an alumni member of the school's wheelchair track and field team.
She has received a
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
and
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in Speech Language Pathology from Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Education in May 2012.
Her first major international competition was the 2007 Parapan American Games in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
where she won two gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter races and a bronze in the 400-meter.
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-meter and 200-meter in Beijing, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively. She competed at the
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...
in London on Team USA in the
100m,
200m
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a Sprint (running), sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run th ...
and
400m T53 events, getting sixth, fifth, and seventh place respectively.
Forber-Pratt is a former Board member of the
Transverse Myelitis
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a rare neurological condition wherein the spinal cord is inflamed. The adjective ''transverse'' implies that the spinal inflammation (myelitis) extends horizontally throughout the cross section of the spinal cord; the ...
Association (now Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association). 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
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), or acute Demyelinating disease, demyelinating encephalomyelitis, is a rare autoimmune disease marked by a sudden, widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. As well as causing the ...
(ADEM), Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD), Optic
Neuritis
Neuritis () is inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation, and frequently concomitant demyelination, cause impaired transmission of neural signals and leads to aberrant nerve function. Neurit ...
(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
Move United is an American non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of parasports among youths and adults with physical disabilities. The organization operates community parasports programs via over 150 local chapters across the country. M ...
for many years (now Move United). 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.
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. Forber-Pratt was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change by President Barack Obama in 2013 and participated in a roundtable discussion about disability policy issues with several key disability leaders. 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. In 2019, she was featured by the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change as part of the #SheInnovates campaign
In 2021, she was appointed by the
Biden administration
Joe Biden's tenure as the 46th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Biden, a Democrat from Delaware who previously served as vice president under Barack Obama, took office following his victory ...
as the Director of the
(NIDILRR).
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References
External links
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Academic publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forber Pratt, Anjali
1984 births
Living people
American female wheelchair racers
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Illinois Fighting Illini Paralympic athletes
Paralympic track and field athletes of the United States
Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States
People from Natick, Massachusetts
People with paraplegia
Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Paralympic wheelchair racers
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Medalists at the 2007 Parapan American Games
Indian adoptees
American adoptees
Indian emigrants to the United States
21st-century American women