SwimSwam Podcast: Anastasia Pagonis Living at the OTC as a Swimmer Who is Blind

On SwimSwam Podcast, we’re giving you an in-depth listen at all things swimming. Host Coleman Hodges welcomes guests and guest co-hosts alike to get perspective on our ever-changing swimming universe and break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

I sat down with Anastasia Pagonis, the 16-year-old para national teamer who recently moved to the Olympic Training Center to live and train full time. Pagonis was fully sighted until age 9 when her vision slowly started to regress. After becoming blind by age 14, and going through a deep phase of depression, Pagonis was able to get back in the pool and start chasing her Olympic dream once again.

Pagonis has also started to have quite the social media presence, providing content in an effort to change the way we see blind people.

Follow Anastasia on Instagram here.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

RECENT EPISODES

Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.

3
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

3 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Taa
4 years ago

It makes me sad to hear the trouble she had finding a coach willing to work with a blind person. I thought we were better than that.

Corn Pop
Reply to  Taa
4 years ago

This is where a Sports science Masters/ phd student could have made themselves useful..

Taa
Reply to  Corn Pop
4 years ago

Yeah all those dummies didn’t realize they could have coached a Paralumpian

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

Read More »