Welcome to a brand new episode of the Collide Kids Podcast as we kick off Season 8 with an extraordinary guest, Gia Pergolini, a Gold Medalist Paralympic swimmer. Host Christen Clark explores Gia's inspiring journey of resilience and faith, highlighting how she competes at an elite level despite her visual impairment.
In this episode, Gia reveals how swimming gives her a sense of freedom and shares the impactful lessons she’s learned about overcoming obstacles. Her unwavering determination to not let her disability define her is a testament to her strength and spirit.
Be sure to also catch our new “Let’s Talk About It” segment—a set of questions designed to inspire family conversations beyond the podcast.
Let's dive into this episode with Gia Pergolini!
Clip Finder:
"Paralympics and Equality": "Okay, so Paralympics and Olympics are pretty much the same thing, but in Paralympics, you can compete with other athletes with similar disabilities as you."
— Gia Pergolini [00:06:51 → 00:07:00]
"Unseen Battles: Finally, my parents finally got the confirmation."
— Gia Pergolini [00:09:41 → 00:09:44]
"Surviving School with the Right Tools": "Yes, my video magnifier I got when I was in fourth grade, and let me tell you, I could have not survived middle school or high school without it."
— Gia Pergolini [00:11:24 → 00:11:33]
"Swimming with Visual Challenges": "Majority of the time I can see the flags. I just need like 50 goggles on hand with different shades and different tents to determine if I can see the flags or not."
— Gia Pergolini [00:13:41 → 00:13:50]
Breaking Barriers: "Through a lot of pain and determination for the final, I went a 10464 and got the world record and the Paralympic gold medal, which has been my best time since."
— Gia Pergolini [00:15:10 → 00:15:22]
Faith and Competition: "No matter what the turnout is, whether I win or lose, I know God has a path for me. And it's part of God's plan."
— Gia Pergolini [00:17:24 → 00:17:32]
"Faith and Triumph": "I would not be here today or have the success or experience these great accomplishments if it wasn't for God and giving me, I don't perceive it as a disease. I can't perceive it as a gift, because without it, I wouldn't be here talking to you, or I wouldn't be in Paris, and I wouldn't have met these amazing people and inspire kids with similar disabilities as."
— Gia Pergolini [00:19:10 → 00:19:36]
Finding Strength in Self-Acceptance: "Don't let your disability define who you are. That's one of the biggest lessons I've had to learn is I have need to accept myself for who I am to be successful."
— Gia Pergolini [00:20:09 → 00:20:22]
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Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/
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