1
GOLD
0
SILVER
1
BRONZE
5'5"
20
Long Island, NY
classification: S11
Sport: Para-swimming
Event: 100-meter freestyle S11 and 400-meter freestyle S11
Anastasia Pagonis is an American Paralympic swimmer who has become an inspirational figure in the world of para sports, competing in the S11 classification for visually impaired athletes.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Pagonis is a vocal advocate for disability awareness and mental health, using her platform to inspire others. She was diagnosed with autoimmune retinopathy and lost her vision completely by the age of 14. She has used her experience to raise awareness about disability and mental health, particularly through her active presence on social media, where she shares her journey and offers support to others facing similar challenges.
Anastasia Pagonis made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she quickly became one of the stars of the competition. In the 400-meter freestyle, Pagonis won gold and set a new world record with a time of 4:54.49.
Pagonis returned to the Paralympics at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, placing seventh in the women’s 100-meter freestyle S11.
Pagonis competed in the World Para Swimming Championships in 2022, winning two gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle S11 and 400-meter freestyle S11. She added an additional gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley SM11.
Pagonis began her para swimming career in earnest in 2018, quickly rising through the ranks of U.S. Paralympic swimming. She made a name for herself at the 2019 U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships, where she broke her first American record in the 400-meter freestyle. Her rapid improvement and determination caught the attention of the national team coaches, and she was soon competing at the highest levels of international para-swimming.
NANTERRE, France – Team USA Para Swimming hit two new historic American milestones on Friday.On night two of swimming events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Gia Pergolini captured the U.S’s first gold medal of the Games, beating the field in the wo...
NANTERRE, France – Ellie Marks, Christie Raleigh-Crossley and Grace Nuhfer all swam to silver medals on opening night of Para swimming at the La Defense Arena.Marks was the first of the medal-winning trio to nab silver, doing so in the women’s 50-meter...
Jessica Long’s record speaks for itself: 6 Paralympic Games, 16 Paralympic Gold Medals. 29 Paralympic Medals.
NANTERRE, France – It was an absolutely blazing Paralympic debut in her maiden swim.Having aspired to compete at three Olympic Games, Christie Raleigh-Crossley broke the 50-meter freestyle S9 world record, clocking 27.28 seconds, 0.04 faster than the p...
After winning four medals at last year’s worlds, Jaffe decided to take a year off from his studies to focus on Paris.
