Imagine not moving, speaking and eating. Victoria Arlen went through that for 4 years. Now, the young woman is a gold medal athlete, a former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, ESPN personality, and now co-host of “American Ninja Warrior Junior” on Universal Kids.
Video Content: Victoria Arlen (2020)
SIDEWALKS host Lori Rosales talks to Victoria Arlen about the autoimmune disorders that robbed her of her teen life, her Victoria’s Victory Foundation, and joining the team of “American Ninja Warrior Junior” in season 2 as a co-host.
Mini-Biography:
Born in Exeter, Massachusetts, Victoria Arlen wasn’t sure what kind of life she will have. At the age of eleven, she developed two rare conditions known as transverse myelitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The autoimmune disorders took her ability to speak, eat, walk, and move, as she slipped into a vegetative state. After four years trapped in her body, Arlen never gave up. She taught herself our little simple things of life: speak, eat and move … all over again. For last couple of years of her life, Arlen went on to win one gold and three silvers medals at 2012 Summer Paralympics for swimming, became a “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, an ESPN personality, an author (her auto-biography “Locked In,” released in August of 2018), and now co-host of “American Ninja Warrior Junior.”
Interview Credits:
Recorded: February 19, 2020
Host / Producer: Lori Rosales
Editor: Richard R. Lee
Special Thanks To: Universal Kids