Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis drew headlines after winning the first gold medal for the U.S. during the 400-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Paralympics this summer. Now, the 17-year-old—who began losing her sight at 11 because of an autoimmune disease—uses TikTok to teach her 2 million followers what being blind is really like.
Q: How did your vision loss affect your swimming?
A: In 2018, I lost all my useful vision and I stopped swimming to focus on my mental health. About a year later, I wanted to get back in the pool. I pretty much had to learn to swim all over again, but now it’s where I feel free and independent.
Q: What was the best part of the Tokyo Games?
A: I had put the blood, sweat, and tears into training for the 400. Winning the first gold for Team U.S.A. was a really special moment.
Q: What’s your goal with your TikTok videos?
A: The world puts a stereotype on blindness where you have to look and act a certain way. I want to show people that I can be an elite athlete, I can be a gold medalist, I can wear makeup, I can dress cute, I can do all these things.
Q: What do you want teens to learn from your story?
A: People with disabilities can do amazing things. And there’s hope even when things get hard.
(This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.)