Angela Rockwood

After starring in the film The Fast and the Furious and the syndicated television series V.I.P. it seemed the sky was the limit for model and actress Angela Rockwood. Then, on September 4, 2001 all that changed when she was involved in a car accident on Interstate 5 while driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Fellow actress Thuy Trang was killed in the crash and Rockwood was paralyzed and diagnosed as a C4-5 quadriplegic with very little chance of regaining motor skills and feeling below her neck. At a moment most people would call it quits Rockwood did the exact opposite and through rigorous physical therapy and gritty determination she began to feel movement again in her fingers and arms. In 2003 she received stem-cell treatment in Portugal that allowed her to use a manual wheelchair. It’s been Rockwood on the roll ever since.

One of the stars of the Sundance Channel reality show Push Girls Rockwood has just landed a national ad campaign gig with fashion retailer Nordstrom that will feature Rockwood in her wheelchair. Nordstrom has been using models with disabilities since 1991 and the idea to use Rockwell for their new campaign was a great opportunity for the former model to once again get in front of the camera. Nordstrom had used Rockwood as a model in 2008 and company spokesperson Tara Darrow told Yahoo! Shine that using models with disabilities is about “reflecting the diverse customer who shops with us and we think Angela does a fantastic job with that.”

In addition to her role on Push Girls and modeling with Nordstrom, Rockwood has been involved in many organizations for the disabled including the Fight 2 Walk Foundation, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Operation Confidence. Rockwood also hosts a weekly acting workshop in Los Angeles and has become an inspiration for not only people with disabilities but anyone who faces tough obstacles in life. Her fashion shoot with Nordstrom was featured on the season finale of Push Girls and reinforced her quote, “who doesn’t want to look sexy in a wheelchair”? Today, women in wheelchairs aren’t indulging in a pity party, they’re living life to the fullest and giving fashion a whole new spin. HDS Medallion® is pleased to help by designing and manufacturing stylish, functional bags for mobility devices.