I had the BEST experience EVER last weekend! I went to D23 Expo. That’s like a giant convention all about everything Disney. It only happens every other year. There are all kinds of things to see and do. And, there are panels with big stars and Imagineers and Disney executives speaking. But guess what?! I got to be on a panel, too!

The panel was called “Heroines of the Disney Galaxies” and it was hosted by Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars animated series. The panelists were Sana Amanat, Vice President of Content & Character Development, Marvel; Ally Maki, who voiced Giggle McDimples in Toy Story 4; Christy Carlson Romano, voice of Kim Possible; and Genesis Rodriguez, who voices Honey Lemon in Big Hero 6. At the start of the panel, Ashley invited me on stage to talk about being TitaniumAmy, a real life “superhero.” How cool is that?

Here are the questions and how I answered:

How did you get the name Titanium Amy?

I have a rare disease called XP/TTD. It affects all the cells in my body and makes them sick. Five years ago, my femur broke. I had a titanium rod put in my leg. I had a long recovery. But, I was inspired by Ahsoka. She says, “You don’t have to look tough to be tough.”

I worked really hard to learn to walk and run again. A year later, I ran my first Disney 5K! That was the day I became TitaniumAmy. Now I know I am definitely tougher than I look!

Does that quote from Ahsoka Tano always inspire you?

Yes, but I learn more from other heroines, too! Ahsoka is powerful because she believes in herself. Heroines never give up, no matter how often they get knocked down – they always get back up! I aspire to be like that.

I know you have been to Capitol Hill to talk about Rare disease, and you are an Ambassador for two different foundations that celebrate diversity. Why is that so important to you?

Like Ahsoka, I want my voice to be heard. I want to speak up for people who can’t speak for themselves. And like Princess Leia (my queen!), I want to give people hope.

What advice do you have for someone who may be struggling to find their inner Heroine?

I would say you don’t have to look far, because the Force is inside of you. Celebrate the things that make you different. And remember: you’re tougher than you look!

If you want to read an article all about the panel, you can check it out on Disney’s D23 website here: https://d23.com/heroines-of-the-disney-galaxies-team-up-at-d23-expo/