Tamara (Tami) was introduced to table tennis in a rehabilitation center: Tami was born with spina bifida and had a life expectancy of 18. She is now 23 years old, the first Chilean table tennis player to win gold at the Parapan American Games, and on her way to Tokyo. Tamara’s ability to reach and connect with a wide range of people is almost as impressive as her constantly changing colored hair (most recently red, and purple before), and she’s leveraged those skills to become an outspoken advocate for members of the disabled community.

Taylor has been in the pool since age 4, when her mom (a swim coach) and older sister (also a swimmer) first introduced her to the water. A D1 recruit at Loyola University Maryland, Taylor was gearing up to make a splash at the collegiate level. She was then diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition characterized by joint pain, loose joints, and hypermobility. According to Taylor, this period of her life was both physically and emotionally excruciating. She shares how she needed to “mourn the life [I] lost but also realize that [I] gained a new life.”

Hearing how important swimming was to her, Taylor’s physical therapist encouraged her to return to the water. One day when at the Loyola pool, the swim coach who recruited her suggested Taylor explore para swimming. This recommendation changed Taylor’s life.

Flash forward to today and Taylor is a 2x S10 American Record Holder and 7x Parapan Games medalist. As Taylor looks to the future, she hopes to see a world in which women are “valued like the men.” She also shares how she hopes to become a Mom and how “women can be strong and powerful” while also at the top of their sport.

Valentina or ‘The Lioness’ grew up in Italy as a ‘very competitive child’ with her three sisters and one brother. She describes her heritage as “the perfect mix” of cultures, crediting each of her parents and their respective origins with various parts of who she is today (her Dad is from Italy and her Mom is from the Ivory Coast).

Victoria considers herself a proud “Puerto Rican American.” Having grown up in the Houston, Texas area, she “was considered a Latina,” but then when she went to Puerto Rico, she “was seen as American.” According to Victoria, for some, her personal identity falls in a bit of a “gray area.” In today’s interview, we spotlight Taekwondo superstar Victoria Stambaugh. She talks about her Puerto Rican identity, and strong faith being her guide. Victoria opens up about how she primarily identifies as a child of God and what this means to her. Massive thank you to Victoria for trusting us to elevate her story!

Yip Pin Xiu is a “born and bred city girl’, having grown up in Singapore with her close-knit family flying kites, playing in the sand pool, and at five, getting in the with her brothers. Swimming started as a family activity. Fast forward to 2008, and Pin Xiu became Singapore’s first ever Paralympic gold medalist. She now has 5 Paralympic golds and 5 World Championships. She was the first para-athlete in Singapore’s Sports Hall of Fame (2015) and a proud inductee of the Women’s Hall of Fame (2014). And while Pin Xiu changed the face of sport in Singapore, her impact hasn’t been limited to the pool. Yes, Pin Xiu has all of the honors and titles one can dream of, but she talks more about her commitment to inclusion for all than the medals around her neck. Having grown up in a time when there wasn’t a lot of representation for people with disabilities, Pin Xiu is determined to be a voice people hear and a body people see. According to Pin Xiu, “being disabled does not mean unable. Being disabled does not disqualify me” and she hopes to be a voice not for” just the disabled community, but also the sporting community, women, everyone.”

Zahra Nemati is arguably Iran’s most popular female athlete. While she grew up competing in taekwondo, after a car accident left her legs paralyzed, she decided to pick up a bow and arrow at the age of 21. Zahra’s physical disability allows her to qualify for the Paralympics, but she also was also the first to beat out many able-bodied athletes to additionally qualify for the Iranian Olympic team.