After more than 20 cycles and nearly 20 years on TV, it goes without saying that America's Next Top Model made history every now and then in its time. Some of the contestants on the show were truly groundbreaking, including Nyle DiMarco — the cycle 22 model who also happened to be the first deaf contestant on the show. Six years later, Nyle is opening up about his journey on the show in a new interview, along with how he feels about host Tyra Banks today.
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Nyle won the show in 2015.
While talking to People, Nile described his time on ANTM as "challenging and exhilarating at the same time."
"I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and adapt to situations that I had never faced before," he said.
That even included posing in a pitch black photo shoot, which was even more challenging for him because he couldn't see or hear.
He wanted a chance to represent the deaf community positively.
"It was also important for me to consistently insert myself in order to prove that being deaf does not limit one’s ability to move through life or succeed in any field," he shared.
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He has accomplished a lot since then.
Not only has Nyle started his own production company, Clerc Studio, but he also created the Netflix series Deaf U, a reality series that follows students at a liberal arts college for the deaf, Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
He also competed on Dancing With the Stars and actually won season 22 of the show in 2016.
He looks back on his time on 'ANTM' fondly.
He was a teacher before he appeared on the modeling competition show, so it was like diving into a totally different world headfirst. As he told People, if he could do it all over again, he'd encourage himself to ask more questions.
"I was so new back then and had to figure out most things myself, but you might be surprised at how willing people are to help. The key to success is to ask!" he said.
He still keeps in touch with Tyra.
"Tyra and I do still keep in touch from time to time and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity she provided me and the doors that opened after," he said.
Judging by everything he's accomplished since the show, it looks like he has a lot to look forward to in his future, too.
