Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Acting career for children with disabilities

Episode #58: From Hunger Games to Children’s Books: The Unstoppable Sofia Sanchez!

Show Notes:

In this inspiring and heartwarming episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles podcast, Tonya interviews Jennifer Varanini Sanchez and her daughter, Sofia Sanchez. Sofia, who has Down Syndrome, is a child model, actress, and voiceover actor. Sofia and Jennifer share about their experience filming the Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and some of Sofia’s favorite memories of being on set. The conversation also touches on their experiences traveling to multiple countries and immersing themselves in the local cultures. Sofia’s achievements in modeling and acting have inspired and given hope to many parents of children with disabilities who believe that their children can achieve their dreams.

Jennifer and Sofia talk about how they began working with children’s book author Margaret O’Hare to write four children’s books that promote inclusion, acceptance, and love in families, regardless of what they look like. Jennifer and Sofia’s story is one of resilience, passion, and hard work. Their experiences in modeling, acting, traveling, and writing have shown that anything is possible with determination and support. The episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for inspiration and motivation to pursue their dreams, no matter their circumstances.

Connect with Jennifer and Sofia:

Instagram:

Jennifer: @thesanchezsix

Sofia: @the.sofia.sanchez

Sofia’s website: www.Sofia-Sanchez.com

The Iceland Project Information:

justlikeyoumovement.org

Donate to the Iceland project: https://bit.ly/SofiaIceland

Purchase Sofia’s Books: (* As an Amazon Associate I may earn a commission on sales made by using these links.)

You Are Loved

You Are Enough

Ride the Wave Love Sofia and Haole the Surf Dog

BeYOUtiful Love Sofia

Resources for Down Syndrome Families:

Global Down Syndrome Foundation – https://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/

National Down Syndrome Society – http://www.ndss.org/

National Down Syndrome Congress – https://www.ndsccenter.org/

Gigi’s Playhouse – https://gigisplayhouse.org/

Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network – https://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/

Connect with Us: https://linktr.ee/waterprairie

Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/waterprairie

MOTHERS DAY BOOK BUNDLE GIVEAWAY!

Grab your chance to win 2 signed books about Sofia Sanchez, a teen actress, model, and advocate for Down syndrome!

Go to https://waterprairie.com/giveaway for details!

Get a BONUS entry by answering some questions about this podcast episode: https://forms.gle/Lwo6B8cH1Drw8dyR8

Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

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