SCI Superstar: Carlana Stone

One of the loudest, warm-spirited SCI superstars we’ve profiled, Carlana Stone is known for two things – flying planes and being an amazing communicator. She is the first female paraplegic to fly solo and worked as a successful TV reporter and media executive in LA. But when she became paralyzed at the age of 17, breaking her back at T12-L1 in a car accident while riding in a car with a drunk driver, she had some relearning to do.

She at first was focused on one thing: Walking again. “If I just worked hard enough, I could beat this,” she thought, and she traveled to Russia, staying for 2 years, learning Russian in the process, to undergo stem cell treatments. And then Carlana had a revelation – maybe walking wasn’t her end goal? And that was when her life began to change in amazing ways. Read on for her story.

Why She’s Fearless

Even though she was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Carlana left for UC Berkeley University where she graduated with a degree in Slavic Languages. After graduating, Carlana criss-crossed the country to Miami, Florida, where she became the city’s first TV reporter in a wheelchair, and worked at the popular WPLG-ABC affiliate TV reporter.

After getting her fill of reporting news, Carlana wanted to get involved in creating TV shows and moved to LA to start a career producing TV shows. She started producing talk shows, and eventually moved on prime-time shows, producing A&E’s Intervention. Carlana has been a guest on several talk shows as well, including Montel, talking about the abusive relationship she had with her first husband, The Larry King Show, and in 2008 she was a contestant in Oprah’s “Big Give” contest.

And Carlana thrives on adrenaline. At age 36, she fell in love with flying after she went on a flying date. She studied for her pilot’s license, eventually becoming the first female paraplegic in the US to fly solo. Carlana is addicted to adrenaline and loves to skydive, ride her adapted Harley trike, mono-ski and scuba dive.

After taking a break from producing in 2005 for a short time, Carlana also published her memoirs, co-writing it with a friend from college. It’s titled Never Give In, Never Give Up and she shares how she was able to get through her injury with such fierceness. And Carlana decided to found the Courage Community in 2006, a non-profit, non-partisan, apolitical organization that provides support to our underserved populations. 

What’s Next?

Busier than ever as a TV executive producer, Carlana is now a well-known motivational speaker as well. We are not “forever victims” she likes to say when she speaks. “We are only victims if we choose to be.” You are one awesome woman Carlana, and we are proud of the career, and life, you’ve made for yourself.

— Official site of Carlana Stone