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Anastasia Pagonis, 16 year old blind swimmer, competes with guide dog

11/11/2020

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Paralympian Anastasia Pagonis’ striking success story began when she lost her vision at the mere age of 14, a tough time for any teen but even harder when dealing with a life changing disability.

Anastasia explained that it took her about 8 months to regroup herself, in her interview with TODAY, “and then I got it in my head, ‘Okay, I’m blind. Now what am I going to do with my life?’” she quoted during the interview.

Losing her vision and being on the verge of giving up the pastime that she loved took a heavy emotional toll on Anastasia. After months of therapy, the tenacious teen was ready to get back in the pool—only swimming wasn’t enough for Pagonis. She wanted to compete.

But now, she was faced with another dilemma. “Nobody wanted to train the blind girl,” Pagonis recalled in an interview with TEAM USA.  After 8 months of searching, Anastasia was lucky to find an amazing coach willing to train her, even putting on blackout goggles to try and figure out a way for Pagonis to swim.

By the age of 16, Pagonis was earning a reputation as a fierce competitor, taking two gold medals at the World Para Swimming World Series in Australia. Even with her newfound sense of accomplishment, Pagonis was reluctant at first to tap into social media.
​

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However, as Pagonis has entered social media- she has realised that her experiences and positive outlook towards life may be a benefit to others and eagerly taken the mantle of role model.
“I want to help people the way that I needed help,” Pagonis told TEAM USA. 

She explained that soon after starting on Instagram and Social Media, she was receiving many direct messages and replies saying things like: ‘Wow you really helped me get through little things,’ or, ‘I was getting bullied in school and you helped me get through that,’ or, ‘You let me know how much I was worth.’

Back in the water, Pagonis was truly in her element. “It’s my happy place,” she commented in an interview with TODAY. “It’s the place where I feel like I don’t have a disability and I feel like that’s the only place where I feel free. When I dive in the water, it’s just me in the pool and I feel such a connection with it.”

While she didn’t know it at the time, earlier this year, her happy place was about to get a whole lot happier thanks to some other New York athletes. 

The New York Islander’s Puppies With Purpose Program was about to have its first graduate, an adorable Labrador retriever named Radar. And who better to team the pup up with than fellow Long Islander Anastasia Pagonis?
​

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Anastasia and her adorable guide dog ‘Radar’ began their initial training at her home. On the 19th of August, they were ready to take on the world together. “I’m so lucky to have Radar,” Pagonis told GNN. “He has given me my independence back and is my partner in crime!”

This independence has allowed Anastasia Pagonis to take her place as a resident athlete at Colorado’s Olympic Paralympic Training Center with a goal of competing in the Tokyo 2021 games. “This was a huge and scary decision for me,” Pagonis tweeted. “But sometimes you need to take a leap of faith because if you don’t try, you don’t know. Always follow your dreams,”

Picture
Pagonis’ success  story shows us that in dull situations and difficult times, we need to persevere in order to flourish. Anastasia could’ve easily given up her passion but she was resilient and that paid off. She accepted her new reality, even if it was less ideal than the one she had before and that is what pushed her forward. 

Good Luck Anastasia!
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Literature
    • Book Reviews >
      • Stolen Away
      • Hunger Games
      • A Tale of Magic
      • The Red Pyramid
      • Keeper of the Lost Cities
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    • Why Funny Girl Should Be The Movie Of This Generation
    • TikTok
    • Among Us Tips & Tricks
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    • LOONA’s 12:00 album review
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    • Were the F.R.I.E.N.D.S really friends?
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    • Top 3 Musicals for Teens
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    • IPL
    • Champions League 2021
    • Colour Out Of Space Film Review
    • Uncut Gems Film Review
    • Little Women Review
    • Why Amber is the unsung hero of Sofia the First
    • The Two Popes Film Review: A Cinematic Sleeping Pill
    • Why I’m Not Watching Trailers Anymore
    • The Last Black Man In San Francisco: The Best Film Of 2019 That Nobody Is Talking About
  • Current Affairs
    • POLITICS >
      • Wake up, Boris Johnson
      • First Presidential Debate
      • Brexit: The Political Decision We Can’t Ignore
      • President-Elect Biden
      • US Elections 2020: When will we actually know the results of the election?
      • The US Election
      • Donald Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis
      • Who Will Replace RBG?
  • Things To Do
    • Vintage Shopping In Singapore
    • Get Your Golf Fix
    • Top 5 Things To Do At MacRitchie Reservoir
    • An Ode to the Humble Stew
    • Drones. Why I love the world from above.
  • Editorial
    • Covid-19 Vaccine
    • Samsung Digital Cockpit
    • Riot or Protest?
    • Robot Baristas
    • Feminism and Men’s Rights
    • Why Don't We Speak About Our Mental Health
    • Anastasia Pagonis
    • Penicillin: The Discovery that Changed the World of Medicine
    • Do Video Games Cause Violence
    • Stairs: Would we be better off without them?
    • Women Who Shaped The World >
      • Bethany Hamilton
      • Harriet Tubman
      • Susan B. Anthony
      • Uncovered >
        • McJobs: Uncovered
        • CoVID-19
        • Chinese New Year
        • Poverty
        • Laziness
        • Inequality
    • Apple TV 4K
    • Contortion: An Introduction
    • Lessons From Covid
    • The Animal Hair Cut Craze
    • Know Your French Fries
    • Why 'OK, Boomer' Is Not The 'N-Word of Ageism'
  • Environment
    • The 6th Mass Extinction
    • Climate Countdown
    • I'm Dreaming Of A Green Christmas
    • What Busy People Need To Know About >
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      • Australian Bushfires
      • Hurricane Dorian
      • Greta Thunberg
      • Melting Ice
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    • Creative Writing >
      • One Last Breath
      • The Remote's Escape
      • The Remote's Back
      • The Clock: Part 2
      • The Secret Life of Potatoes (Part 2)
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      • Seniors: Issue 1
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      • Miss Understood: Issue 1
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      • I Can See the Light...
      • Above The Clouds
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      • Chanel's Fashion Revolution Reaches For The Stars
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  • Archive
    • Creative Archive >
      • The Clock: Part 1
      • The Man In the Bank
      • Adventurous Story Of A TV Remote - Part 1
      • Yishun: The Devil's Ring
      • A World With No Borders
      • An Interview With The Divers At The Heart Of The Thai Cave Rescue
      • The Mountains
      • The Day I Woke Up In Troy
      • In Japan
      • Pertinus the Tenacious
    • Current Affairs Archive >
      • Riot vs. Protest
      • #BLM What You Need To Know
      • A World Of Performative Activism
      • Entrepreneurship: The Key To Go From Zero To Hero
      • Why The U.S-Iran Conflict Is Sure To Escalate
      • Why India’s Citizenship Bill And Its Effects Are More Serious Than We Originally Thought
      • The Rise Of Bitcoin In 2019
      • Hurricane Delta
      • Why Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Murder Is More Significant Than We Originally Thought
      • Why Do Many Technology Startups Fail?
      • What Is The Trump-Ukraine Crisis And What Are Its Effects?
      • Ending The Hong Kong Protests - A Guide For Dummies
      • Why Brexit is Going Nowhere
      • Ending the Yemen War: A Guide for Dummies
      • India-Pakistan Conflict: A Dummies Guide
    • Editorial Archive >
      • Singapore's Latest Nuisance: Electric Scooters
      • Why Artificial Intelligence is the Future of Humanity
      • Self Driving Cars, The Future of The Automotive Industry
      • Should We Really Be Afraid Of Artificial Intelligence?
      • Something Is Rotten In The Heart of Tanglin's Head Team
      • Boeing 737 Max 8: A Question of Safety
      • A World in the Dark
      • The Day That Siri Died
      • Does Brandy Melville Fit into the Future of Fashion?
      • #NOFILTERPOETRY
      • World Cup Conspiracies
      • Is Money Really That Great?
      • Why I Hate Valentine's Day
      • How We Became Enslaved To The Social Media Overlords
      • The Projector VS Golden Village
      • A Little Red Dot
    • Entertainment Archive >
      • The Diary of Taylor Swift's Cats
      • Champions League Comebacks
      • It's Bruno, Possibly The Weirdest Show On Netflix?
      • Why Being a Film Fan in Singapore Kinda Sucks...
      • Fortnite Vs Apex: Let Battle Commence
      • The Dying Art Of One Direction Fanfiction
      • Taylor Swift Cancels Concert At The Melbourne Cup
      • Haji Lane
      • To All The Boys I've Loved Before
      • Thor Ragnarok film review
      • The Ring of Fury - Why Now?
      • The Films You Missed in 2018
      • Kingsman: The Golden Circle
  • Category