Sneak Peek: Podcast with Marianna Mott Newirth and Hailey McAvoy of Opera Praktikos 

Hailey McAvoy: I have Level 2 cerebral palsy, so my CP affects my legs and also my eyes a little bit. I can walk independently and I can live independently in life.

As you can hear, my speaking is very fluid. Like the muscles of my throat aren't really compromised by CP, which is very fortunate for my job as an opera singer, I suppose, but I do face some challenges with mobility. For example, I always use a railing when I go up and down stairs. It's difficult for me sometimes to navigate crowded places or icy places, uneven ground, these kinds of varied terrain.

And it's interesting, I happened to pick a career that you have to navigate a lot of varied terrain when you're on stage. When I was growing up, I didn't immediately perceive that it would be a challenge for me to really feel comfortable and secure on the operatic stage. I just thought, "I'm going to go for it and go for broke and see what I can do." And I have been able to do that to a large extent.

I've been able to perform throughout the country and sing different roles in different places, which is wonderful. But it also has definitely come with its own set of challenges in terms of navigating those onstage environments, that they sometimes pose challenges for me that they don't pose for my colleagues. So that has been part of my singing journey for as long as I've been singing.