My story doesn’t end in defeat. That’s what former Paralympian Victoria Arlen (she / her) told herself after 2 rare conditions left her “locked in her body” for 4 long years. She had goals to accomplish, and not even paralysis could stop her. After years of physical therapy and determination, she relearned how to do everything from walk to talk to swim, and even won gold at the 2012 Paralympics when she was just 17. Now, she’s guiding the next generation of athletes as a host of American Ninja Warrior Junior on Peacock.

Here, the 26-year-old tells us about going from paralysis to the podium, how she rolled with life’s punches, and the motto she lives by 24 / 7.

How did you go from being completely paralyzed to being a Paralympian?
Even [with] all the impossible circumstances that came my way, I tried to route my focus not to the circumstances around me, but, “What would I do to overcome them? What would I be able to achieve once I did that?” I always thought, “Well, this is an extraordinarily challenging time. But I have to hope and believe that this will lead to an extraordinary life—and a life that will allow me to do extraordinary things, because I know I’m capable of overcoming extraordinary things.”

What drew you to swimming?
Swimming has always been something I’ve loved to do since I was a little girl. When I was 5 years old, [I told] my mom I was going to win a gold medal in the sport. I just love the water, and then the water gave me a whole different meaning when I was paralyzed for 10 years. It gave me a sense of freedom.

What was it like relearning to swim after your paralysis?
It was incredibly challenging. I had a body that didn’t work for 4 years, and then I had half of my body back. It was just finding my new normal. Also, being really patient with myself and realizing the strengths I had, [how] I could use them, and trying not to think about the things that I couldn’t do.

You competed at the highest level in the world. Was that as intense as it sounds?
It was very stressful. I was 17 years old, 2 years out of a vegetative state, and it was just a lot. It’s incredible to be able to represent your country and reach the highest level and win gold, but the best part of it was having my family there and realizing the crazy full circle this whole journey brought me on. My mom’s from England and I have a lot of family over there. It was a reunion for everyone, and it was a great sign to all of us, like, “We’re okay now. We don’t have to worry about Victoria getting sick again. We don’t have to live in this fear.” Then [it] opened up so many doors the moment I touched back down in Boston.

One of those opportunities was hosting on ESPN. How did that happen?
They kind of found me! I was doing a lot of press tours after London and was starting to share my story. I ended up going down to ESPN, and one of the executives was like, “Have you ever thought of a career in broadcasting?” I was like, “No, I’m a swimmer. I’m in school.” [Laughing.] He was like, “Well, I’ll take you on a tour.” I watched a live taping of SportsCenter, and it was just a light-bulb moment. I knew this is what I wanted to do; it ignited something I’ve yet to ever find before… I job shadowed for a year, then I had this incredible opportunity presented to me at 20 years old [and] became the youngest person to ever work for ESPN as talent. I went from my first year reporting and hosting from a wheelchair, to then crutches and leg braces, to now attempting to walk in high heels. Although I’m not very graceful. [Laughing.]

Has it been difficult switching from athlete to commentator?
At first, it was very bizarre. I had a lot of incredibly good experiences with the press, but then some not so good. I knew what worked and what didn’t work from the other side. I remember my first medal I won, it was silver. The first person that interviewed me was like, “How sad are you that you won silver? You must be gutted. You had it and you lost it.” I remember being like, “Am I supposed to be sad?” I was so excited! So I was like, “Okay, let’s not do that.” [At] the end of the day, it’s connecting with people. To share in the excitement, to share in the defeat, to share whatever roller coaster ride it took to get there—it was really incredible.

What’s the most exciting part about being on American Ninja Warrior Junior?
It’s honestly one of the coolest things I get to do. I go back to my trailer in the middle of taping and I’m like, “How is this my job?” It’s amazing, and these kids are amazing. We all could learn from them and will learn from them this season. It makes you literally want to run up the warped wall, talking to these kids. You feel so empowered! They’re incredible ninjas, but they’re also incredible humans that have a voice and are not afraid to use it. So to be the person that gives them that platform with my microphone is just a tremendous blessing.

You’ve overcome so many challenges. What’s been one of your guiding principles?
My own motto—“Face it. Embrace it. Defy it. Conquer it.”—is what I go by. Whether it’s Rock Bottom-ville in a vegetative state or hosting American Ninja Warrior Junior... It’s everything that I’ve gone through, everything that I’ve accomplished. That keeps me grounded and rooted.