Alejandra is the Dominican Republic’s first female Paralympic swimmer, a Parapan American silver medalist, engineer, dog mom, and as she shares, “a 4’3” tall girl promoting inclusion.”

When not swimming (which she does 4-5 hours a day), Alejandra works for the International Paralympic Committee, making sport more accessible for all. As if that’s not enough, she’s also writing her masters thesis. When asked how she juggles it all, she shares that she’s driven by her why. She knows exactly why she’s waking up so early and has crystal clear goals.

In today’s conversation, we talk about her hopes for Paris2024, and Ale shares big news — she’s preparing for her retirement post-Paralympics! She also debunks some of the misconceptions about the Paralympics:
1. Paralympians are elite athletes NOT recreational athletes
2. She’s competing in the Paralympics NOT Olympics (they are different!).

We want to honor Alejandra’s story to the best of our abilities, so because of the holidays and New Year, we will publish her episode next Wednesday, 1/4. That said, here’s a bit of what you can expect.

Alexa is a 2x Olympian (Tokyo and Rio) and the first Mexican woman to win a World Championship Medal. She’s one of the 100 most powerful women in Mexico (via Forbes Magazine), yet according to her manager, Frida Martinez, “She doesn’t know she’s a role model. That’s her superpower. She doesn’t know she’s that big.”

When Aline was 15 years old, she was in a car accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. That said, she says “sport changed my life, not the accident.” According to Aline sport gave her wings, the ability to travel, and to meet people from all over the world.

Anastasia is a 3x World Champion and a 2X Paralympian on a mission to change how people ‘see’ the visually impaired. To truly see them as they are, not stereotypes. When asked to describe a blind person, Anastasia offers that “most people think of a man walking around like a zombie, big dark glasses, and a cane, but that’s not how visual impairment is for me.”

Anastasia is a bubbly, stylish, world-class athlete who many often don’t realize has a disability when briefly looking at her or quickly perusing her Instagram page. As Anastasia shares, “I don’t have to be in that box that you put me in.” And as Anastasia has won medal after medal and gained hundreds thousands of social media followers, she’s proven that she doesn’t fit in any one box.

As Anastasia looks to the future, she focuses on what she can control: herself and how she shows up. She’s extremely intentional about her partners and sponsors saying, “I try to only make sure that I work with people who really stand with what I believe in.” On a daily basis, she focuses on the things she can do, not on what she can’t. She asks herself “what is one thing I can do today that will make me feel and be more successful?” and then she does it!
In today’s conversation, we elevate Anastasia’s work in and out of the pool, and discuss how everyone can be an ally to para athletes.

Ariana came across rugby in high school school and at first, she “had no idea what rugby was, but it reminded [her] of capture the flag.” She was looking for a sport outside of track that she could compete in throughout college, and credits the upperclass girls on her high school team for encouraging her to join the squad.

She then went to Dartmouth College where she majored in Economics with a Chinese minor and became team captain Throughout it all, Ariana shares that “People are still confused that women play rugby. They say it’s a super rough sport. That is part of my message for girls: you can play a rough sport.”

In today’s conversation, we debunk some of the misconceptions about rugby, discuss Ari’s ACL recovery from Tokyo2020, and her hopes for the future of women’s sports According to Ari, People think that “because you play rugby you like to fight.” Wrong.

She shares her goal to podium in Paris…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, as her team just took home bronze.

Photo credit: USA Rugby

This conversation is hosted by Maé-Bérénice Méité, 2x Olympian and 6x National Figure Skating Champion from France. This series Flame Bearers: Pathways to Paris celebrates women from around the world seeking to compete in this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics.