Amy Dixon

Career Highlights

Nine-time ITU World Paratriathlon Event medalist (3 golds, 1 silver, 5 bronzes)
Six-time World Triathlon Para Cup medalist (3 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronzes)
Seven-time CAMTRI/PATCO Paratriathlon American Championships medalist (3 silvers, 4 bronzes)
Two-time USA Paratriathlon National Championships medalist (1 gold, 1 silver)
2016 ITU Aquathlon World Champion

Personal

At the age of 22, Amy Dixon began to lose her vision due to a rare autoimmune disease. It slowly progressed over time, and she currently has 98 percent vision loss. Dixon had a background in swimming prior to her illness. As her condition progressed, she began participating in spin bike classes, and running on a treadmill as a way to combat the effects of chemotherapy and steroid treatments for glaucoma. She was encouraged by her friend Caroline Gaynor through social media to try a triathlon. Dixon connected with her current guide, renowned age-group triathlete Kirsten Sass, after her previous guide was not able to compete 11 days prior to the 2017 ITU World Paratriathlon Series race in Yokohama, Japan. In 2017, Dixon became the first blind female athlete to compete in an XTERRA race. She has been awarded recognition from the Lions Club International as a “Lion of Sight” for her work to help improve the lives of those with visual impairments all over the world. In 2018, Dixon founded Camp ‘No Sight No Limits’, the first-ever camp dedicated to producing elite-level blind triathletes in San Diego. She currently serves as a patient advocate and Vice President of the Glaucoma Eyes International non-profit. Outside of triathlon, she is a certified sommelier, with a mental rolodex of thousands of wines that she can identify. As her vision declined, her palate and sense of smell improved. Dixon and her service dog, Woodstock, compete in competitions known as AKC Rally. Her dog must learn over 100 commands, and they are tested on them as a team. Her and Woodstock will soon become the first blind handler and guide dog pair to achieve their Master Rally title, the highest possible honor.

Elite Triathlon Career

2021: Earned a bronze medal at the Americas Triathlon Para Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, on June 27

2020: Took silver at the Devonport ITU World Paratriathlon Series event on Feb. 29

2019: Placed 3rd at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 9 • Placed 5th at the ITU World Paratriathlon Series Montreal on June 28 • Earned bronze at the Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on July 13 • Won gold at the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships on July 20 • Placed fourth at the Tokyo ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Aug. 17 • Earned a 6th-place finish at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Sept. 1 • Took bronze at the Banyoles ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Sept. 8 

2018: Kicked off the season witha bronze-medal performance at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 10 • Collected bronze at the ITU World Paratriathlon Series Iseo-Franciacorta on June 30 • Earned another bronze at the ITU World Paratriathlon Series Edmonton on July 27 • Placed 7th at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, on Sept. 15 • Grabbed silver on Oct. 14 at the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup, held in a duathlon format • Capped her season with a win at the Madeira Paratriathlon World Cup Funchal on Oct. 28

2017: Opened the season with a win in the women’s PTVI class at the Sarasota CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships • Earned gold medals at the Magog and Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cups • Took bronze at ITU World Paratriathlon Edmonton • Placed fourth at ITU World Paratriathlon Yokohama • Was fifth for PTVI women at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Rotterdam

2016: Earned a gold medal at the Yokohama ITU World Paratriathlon Event • Claimed the women’s PT5 world title at the ITU Aquathlon World Championships in Cozumel • Took silver at the Sarasota CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships • Placed fifth at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Rotterdam

2015: Took the win in the women’s PT5 division at the Edmonton ITU World Paratriathlon Event • Claimed bronze at the Detroit ITU World Paratriathlon Event • Was the runner-up for PT5 women at the Monterrey CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships • Placed sixth at the Rio de Janeiro ITU World Paratriathlon Event • Finished seventh at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Chicago

2014: Won gold in the women’s PT5 division at the Manaus ITU World Paratriathlon Event • Took silver at the USA Paratriathlon National Championships • Earned bronze medals at the Magog ITU World Paratriathlon Event and the Dallas PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships • Placed eighth for PT5 women at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Edmonton

Paralympic Experience

• 1-time Paralympian;
• Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, 12th (PTVI - Women)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2021 – 10th (PTVI - Women)
• Years of participation: PTVI - Women 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021; PT5 - Women 2014, 2015, 2016
• Top finish: 5th – 2016 (PT5 - Women), 2017 (PTVI - Women)