SCI Superstar: Ashley Lauren Fisher

Restaurateur, philanthropist, actress, model, and soon-to-be author, these are just some of the titles to describe Ashley Lauren Fisher, a dynamic woman with C4-5 quadriplegia from New Jersey. It’s amazing to see the strong woman today because after breaking her neck in a diving accident at the age of 23, she was lost.

She had just opened a restaurant with her boyfriend and was a model. Suddenly disabled, she had to find her way through the wilderness, and through depression, and not only did she make it, she’s a beacon of what is possible after an injury. Read on for her story. 

Why She’s Fearless

Ashley Lauren pre-injury was a lifelong athlete. She was a championship college lacrosse player and a member of the New Jersey Ballet by the age of 10. She was also an accomplished classical pianist. When she became a teenager, Ashley became a model, moving to New York City, where she had the opportunity to model for several major fashion houses and was a dancer for the classic MTV show, the Grind.

Ashley was injured injured in a diving accident in 1998 after diving into a wave. At the time of her injury, she and her boyfriend co-owned a restaurant, but it was failing. When she discovered this, since she was not sure which direction to go in career-wise, she decided to funnel all of her energy into the restaurant and became the sole owner of Pazzo Pazzo (meaning “crazy crazy” in Italian).

After taking the reins in 1999, her award-winning restaurant became known for serving up whimsical Italian fare. They served New York jets players regularly and celebrities like Meryl Streep and Tony Bennett. Ashley Lauren also became involved in philanthropy. She’s an active member of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. She also helped found Discovery Through Design, an organization that helps women who use wheelchairs feel empowered by giving them beautiful wheelchairs (and taking their photos for an art exhibit).

In 2008, Ashley Lauren next organized a disability fashion event with Marilyn Hamilton, founder of Quickie Wheelchairs, called Rolling with Style, a NYC fashion show that used models who use wheelchairs, giving them designer-created wheelchairs from Nicole and St. John. Since beginning her philanthropy work, Ashley Lauren has raised millions of dollars for spinal cord injury research. 

What’s Next?

Ashley Lauren is still fierce as ever. With Pazzo Pazzo closing in 2017, she is hoping to open another restaurant and is scouting locations. She is also working on a book while balancing her work with WeAlso, an organization that helps survivors of unfair parenting gender discrimination, particularly against the wage earner. And she returned to the lacrosse world, becoming the CEO of a boys lacrosse club in 2013.

Whatever she does next, Ashley Lauren’s future is bright. “I’m going to play whenever hand I’m dealt, I’m going to make sure I have fun while I’m at it.”

— Official site of Ashley Lauren Fisher