AC6 quadriplegic, Amanda was injured in a car accident during her senior year of high school in 2007. Her mother, Liza, took Amanda to Project Walk in California for therapy, and was so impressed with their experience, that she founded Project Walk Orlando in 2009. Project Walk Orlando, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was established to help those suffering with a spinal cord injury improve their daily living by regaining function and perhaps, even walking again.

Prior to her accident, Amanda was a dancer trained in ballet, contemporary and tap, as well as her favorite: jazz. She was a part of the Showtime Dance Company that competed all over Florida, and a member of the dance team and kick line at her high school.
Today, Amanda works part-time at Project Walk Orlando, where she handles scheduling coordination, public speaking and social media. “I am proud to be a part of a program that is not only making a huge difference in my life, but in the lives of others, too.”

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys shopping, surfing and hand cycling. She also takes advantage of the warm Florida weather to host pool parties, where her big back porch can accommodate a large group, including all of her friends in wheelchairs.

By far, though, her favorite activity is traveling around with The7Line Army to New York Mets’ games and watching her favorite team play! Amanda was featured as Miss March in the 2015 Orange & Blue Calendar after online voters overwhelmingly selected her.

Amanda Perla was awarded a $2,200 scholarship for a new ActiveAid Evolution Series Rehab Shower Chair. Her severe spasms made it a necessity to have a safe, new chair in which to bathe. “Unfortunately, the state of Florida only provides a shower chair once,” explains Amanda. “My old shower chair was falling apart, the brakes didn’t work, and it was unstable.” With her new shower chair, Amanda is now able to safely transfer onto it, sit comfortably, and easily maneuver into the shower. “It’s a huge improvement from the eight-year-old chair I had been using, and I am very thankful!” notes Perla.