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Imagine losing your eyesight as a teenager, battling depression, and then becoming a gold medalist and social media star.
This, in a nutshell, is the story of Long Islander Anastasia Pagonis, who discovered that even without sight, she could find peace in the water.
Greater Long Island‘s Jamie Stuart and Nicholas Esposito caught up with the 20-year-old, who suffers from autoimmune retinopathy, before she left to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, which will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. Watch below.
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Top: Anastasia Pagonis at swim practice at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow. (GLI Photo/Nicholas Esposito)
