4:54:49 — Anastasia Pagonis is a name you won’t soon forget! At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, this incredible swimmer carved her place in the history books, taking the swimming world by storm. Not only did she clinch her first 400m S11 gold medal, but she did so in world record time, making waves as Team USA’s first gold medalist at the Games. Could her performance get any more spectacular? Absolutely! The 20-year-old sensation added another medal to her collection, smashing the American record with a time of 2:45:61. But this wunderkind wasn’t finished yet.

By the time the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships rolled around, Pagonis had raised the bar even higher. She dominated the competition, bringing home three gold medals in the 100m freestyle S11, 200m IM SM11, and 400m freestyle S11. And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, she set yet another American record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S11 during the U.S. Paralympic Trials. With these stellar performances under her belt, Pagonis is now heading to the French capital with one goal in mind: to successfully defend her Paralympic title in the S11 category.

But while her accolades are undeniably impressive, one question still lingers: what drives this unstoppable force of nature to continue pushing the limits of what’s possible?

Anastasia Pagonis has always had a soft spot for sports. However, she first fell in love with Soccer. However, she started losing her sight at the age of 11. The then pre-teen had issues reading and finding the ball on the field. Initially diagnosed with Stargardt macular degeneration, her parents still weren’t convinced. Concerned, they took her to a retina specialist – who diagnosed her with genetic and autoimmune retinopathy. What does that mean? Essentially, her immune system continues to attack her retinas.

Her family soon realized that soccer wasn’t safe for her, but her doctor had a solution. He suggested she could instead try swimming. But she eventually lost her vision at the age of 14. Now blind, she struggled to grasp with reality and decided to step back from the sport. However, the swimmer refused to give up. With ample support from her family, friends, and doctor, she returned to swimming. 

Anastasia Pagonis’ relationship with the sport has always been positive. “Swimming is my happy place. Swimming is a place where I feel free.” Even though it was a difficult learning curve for her, she had to learn to swim in the dark. However, she had days where all she wanted to do was give up. She opened up about her struggles to Olympics.com, “I had extreme anxiety, depression, PTSD – it was just a lot to handle.” But things eventually took a turn for the better.

How did Anastasia Pagonis overcome the dark phase and become a swimming sensation?

Amid the gloomy clouds, there was a silver lining. Radar, her hardworking yet adorable guard dog. “He’s changed my life,” she stated. Before she met him, she confessed how she didn’t have much independence of her own. But with him by her side, she now feels like a “totally different person.” The swimmer used to step into the pool with her mother’s help. But after her guide dog came along, it was his responsibility to help her get in.

Where did she meet the adorable helper? The pup is from the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown. He doesn’t just help her around the pool, but she also relies on him out in the world. But she still had a long way to go. The swimmer was now looking to compete professionally. However, the Paralympics was never something she thought of exploring. That is until she started training after her much-needed break. The swimmer initially was aiming for the Junior Olympics, but after noticing the Paralympic requirements, she realized it could be possible for her.

Anastasia Pagonis made her international debut at the 2020 World Series in Australia. Much to her surprise, she walked away with a S11 400m freestyle gold medal. The swimmer even shocked the world by breaking the world record twice at the U.S. Paralympic trials and replicating that same result at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. With the Paris Games commencing soon, the 20-year-old hopes to get her hands on yet another shiny gold medal.