Sandra Zaiter
Sandra Zaiter | |
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Born | Dominican Republic | November 21, 1943
Occupation |
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Sandra Zaiter (born 21 November 1943) is an actress, children's television show host, singer, composer and athlete.
Early life[]
Zaiter was born in the Dominican Republic, of Lebanese Maronite Christian ancestry. Early in her life she participated in church groups, and established her residence in Puerto Rico.
Paralyzed by accident[]
She was a professional diver and swimmer until suffering a life-threatening accident in the 1970s, when she hit her head on a rock during a dive at a beach in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, after misjudging the depth of the water at night.[1] The accident paralyzed her, and she has used a wheelchair since. In 1976, she won the local OTI Festival as a composer. She continued hosting her children's shows. During the late 1970s, Zaiter started recording children's albums as a singer and hosted a daily television show on WRIK Rikalandia/WLUZ. It ran until channel 7 closed temporarily.[2]
Career[]
Zaiter participated in the Puerto Rican production of . She soon started her television career formally by hosting the Puerto Rican version of Romper Room on WRIK-TV channel 7, then called Rikavisión.
Zaiter later moved to WKAQ-TV, Telemundo, where she starred, produced, wrote, and hosted, alongside Lou Briel and Dagmar, a children's show called Teatrimundo, and later . She is the spokesperson for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in Puerto Rico, and a sponsor of the association's telethon. In the 1990s, Puerto Rican actress and producer Ángela Meyer wrote and produced a drama mini-series titled Gaviota de la Esperanza (The Hope Seagull), based on Zaiter's life. It was broadcast by Telemundo.[citation needed]
Zaiter hosts a weekly show called Contra Viento y Marea (Against Wind and Tide), broadcast by WIPR-TV. Its purpose is to give guidance and assistance to the handicapped. Zaiter does public appearances, and participates in the yearly presentation of the Sandra Zaiter Award to those who have distinguished themselves helping the handicapped. One of Telemundo's studios in Puerto Rico was named after her at the launch of the mid-day show Día a Día con Raymond y Dagmar in 2007.[citation needed]
Car accident[]
Zaiter suffered a non-fatal car accident while driving in 2019. She was hospitalized in stable condition.[3]
See also[]
- List of people from Puerto Rico
- List of television presenters/Puerto Rico
- List of composers by nationality
References[]
- ^ "Sandra Zaiter recuerda el accidente que le cambió la vida". Telemundo Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Sandra Zaiter (bio)" (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: National Foundation for Popular Culture. 11 May 2016.
- ^ elvocero.com, Redacción. "Sandra Zaiter sufre accidente leve de auto". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
Sources[]
- Zaiter, Sandra (2009). Gaviota en Vuelo... Con un ala rota. ISBN 978-1-59608-678-4.
External links[]
- 1943 births
- Living people
- Puerto Rican Maronites
- 20th-century Puerto Rican actresses
- Puerto Rican women composers
- Puerto Rican composers
- Puerto Rican women singers
- Puerto Rican people of Lebanese descent
- Puerto Rican singer-songwriters
- Puerto Rican television personalities
- Dominican Republic emigrants to Puerto Rico
- Dominican Republic people of Lebanese descent