Anastasia Pagonis is a Paralympic champion, world-record-holding swimmer, disability advocate, and digital creator who is helping change the way people understand blindness and accessibility.
After losing her sight as a teenager, Anastasia found freedom in the pool and went on to represent Team USA on the world's biggest stage. At the Tokyo Paralympic Games, she won gold in the 400m freestyle S11, breaking the world record, before adding a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley. She later became a three-time world champion and returned for her second Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Beyond sport, Anastasia has built a global community by sharing life with blindness exactly as she experiences it. With honesty, humor, and an unmistakable personality, she challenges misconceptions about disability, talks openly about accessibility and mental health, and shows millions of people that blindness is part of who she is, not a limit on who she can become.
Her openness has also given Anastasia first-hand experience of the more harmful side of life online. From ableist comments and personal attacks to strangers questioning her disability, she understands the impact that words on a screen can have on the person receiving them. Rather than allowing those experiences to silence her, Anastasia continues to use her platform to educate, challenge stereotypes, and encourage others to feel confident being themselves.