Former Mortal Kombat Video Game Actress In Batavia Dusts Off Her Costume For A Real-Life Battle To Raise Awareness For Cerebral Palsy
BATAVIA, Ill. (CBS) -- Kerri Ann Hoskins Reavis was a fighter on the small screen before she became a fighter for her sons.
CBS 2's Marissa Parra introduced us Friday morning to the Batavia mom, who is using her online fame to raise awareness for cerebral palsy.
Hoskins is an artist and model whom you may know better as Sony Blade. Under her maiden name of Hoskins, she rose to fandom fame when she was the motion capture actress for the classic Mortal Kombat video game franchise – beginning with Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995.
But it was a chapter she thought was short-lived.
"I went back to Illinois and started having babies, and I kind of just forgot that world," Hoskins said.
After playing a military officer on the small screen, Hoskins retired her costume to be a real-life soldier for her sons.
"I have to stay healthy for my boys," Hoskins said. "I have to keep lifting them. They weigh more than me now."
Her boys, Luke and Zach, were born with cerebral palsy – a disorder that affects muscles for walking and talking.
"To be able to lift her boys was a big thing," said certified personal trainer Amber Mock.
Hoskins brought on Mock as a personal trainer so that she could be a caretaker for her sons.
"They talk with their eyes. I'll ask a question and they'll smile, or they'll look away for a no," Hoskins said. "They're G-tube fed and nonverbal. I knew no one could care for them like I could, and I needed to do just that."
That was until one pandemic day in December of last year, when Hoskins decided to dust off the ol' costumes 25 years later.
"I turned 50 and I said, well, it's now or never," she said.
Thanks to her training, her costumes fit just like they did decades ago. Her photos in costumes went viral, and the fandom went wild.
"There was something really important about nostalgia during the pandemic," Hoskins said, "and the fans don't die in Mortal Kombat. They're forever!"
Now, even trainer Mock gets asked about what it is like to train the Mortal Kombat character.
"I know she's Sonya, but for me, she's just Kerri. I like to kick her butt. It's fun," Mock said. "She works so hard because, she knows in the long run, she'll be so much better for herself and her boys."
And Hoskins' boys are doing great. At 24, they have already surpassed the life expectancy doctors had originally given them.
In the last year, the mom of four has gathered tens of thousands of nostalgic gamer followers. She has done comic cons, she has inspired others to get in shape, and most importantly, she has fundraised and brought awareness to cerebral palsy – which of course is a cause close to her heart.
"It's so special," Hoskins said. "I've been continuing on this fight – just not on the screen."
You can catch Hoskins, or should we say Sonya Blade, at the next comic con in Los Angeles in December. You can also check her out in costume on Facebook and Instagram.
And if you want to donate to the cause, click here for a link to United Cerebral Palsy.