Tony Awards: Ali Stroker becomes first wheelchair user to win and people are overjoyed | indy100 | indy100

Ali Stroker has made history as the first wheelchair user to win a Tony at the 73^rd annual Tony Awards.

She won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her performance as Ado Annie in the Oklahoma revival.

The performer is paralysed from the chest down due to a car crash when she was two.

The 31-year-old was ecstatic at the win, and so are people online.

— (@)

ALI FUCKING STROKER!!! 😭😭😭 so proud of u @ALISTROKER #TonyAwards2019 https://t.co/eYNBvMz980
— Kevin McHale (@Kevin McHale) 1560132010

@kylegriffin1 I REMEMBER WATCHING HER ON THE GLEE PROJECT 😭👏
— jenna (@jenna) 1560132846

@kylegriffin1 Way to go Ali! History is made! Woooooo!!!! https://t.co/yERMb3qRwe
— A Very Merry LA Fan (xz) 🎆 (@A Very Merry LA Fan (xz) 🎆) 1560132966

People with disabilities are particularly proud at the representation

@Variety @coffee_minion This is HUGE. She was representing us ( folks with disabilities). 😃
— Heather (@Heather) 1560136635

Sydney was watching, @ALISTROKER !! “She’s talking to ME, Mommy!” Yes, baby. She is. #TonyAwards2019 https://t.co/4Dxg3Emc1c
— Jillian Smith 🛫 (@Jillian Smith 🛫) 1560130921

ALI STROKER IS THE GIRL FROM THE GLEE PROJECT!!!m https://t.co/3DhQiyOxBe
— Pisspaw (@Pisspaw) 1560142215

— (@)

Others pointed out the irony of there being no wheelchair ramps to the Tony stage

Kind of shitty that there was no ramp to the Tony stage for Ali Stroker, when Oklahoma won best revival. #TonyAwards
— Dominick Evans (@Dominick Evans) 1560134151

Ali Stroker saying that music cut off her speech before she could thank her partner and also saying that most backs… https://t.co/Nzjeien9CC
— Chris Jones (@Chris Jones) 1560131306

People are also remembering the first time they saw Ali perform

. @ALISTROKER you knocked me over when I first saw you in #SpringAwakening and now you’ve done the same to the ent… https://t.co/MwUclUqcJX
— Marlee Matlin (@Marlee Matlin) 1560141072

“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation, who has a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You are,” the actress said on stage.

The performer booked her first musical theatre gig at the age of seven when she was cast as Annie in the title role in a friend’s backyard production in a New Jersey beach town.

When she sang, she says she “felt so free."

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