ANTM's Nyle DiMarco Opens Up About His 'Challenging' Journey — and Where He Stands with Tyra Banks (Exclusive)

Nyle DiMarco is no stranger to breaking down obstacles.

In 2015, DiMarco made history when he became the first deaf contestant to win the 22nd cycle America’s Next Top Model. Today, he is known for his groundbreaking work as a deaf activist, model, actor and producer of cult favorite shows like Netflix Deaf U and nominated for an Oscar docu-short, Audibly.

When DiMarco looks back on his nearly decades-long career, he’s not afraid to give credit to the reality competition series that started it all. America’s Next Top Model it ran for 24 seasons, and as the series progressed, plus-size, petite, and male models began to appear.

“It was challenging and exciting at the same time,” DiMarco told PEOPLE exclusively of his experience on the show. “I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and adapt to situations I had never faced before.”

(L) Nyle DiMarco and Tyra Banks on ‘America’s Next Top Model’.

official ANTM/YouTube

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While the model says he is “grateful” on the platform ANTM had him represent the deaf community “in a truly positive light,” he admits that competing as a deaf person presented unique challenges.

“I had to rely heavily on visual cues, lip reading, and sometimes my sign language interpreter, who wasn’t always on set,” DiMarco recalls. “My fellow contestants were generally understanding, although it was still challenging for me. Growing up in a completely deaf community and household, I wasn’t used to the experience of not being included in conversations and social settings at all times.”

However, he assures fans that the exclusion “wasn’t intentional” and is just “a normal part of the process for everyone.”

“It was also important to me to consistently step in to prove that deafness does not limit one’s ability to move through life or succeed in any field,” he adds.

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Nyle DiMarco on ‘America’s Next Top Model’.

official ANTM/YouTube

DiMarco recalls a remarkable moment from his time ANTM. In Cycle 22, Episode 13, host and judge Tyra Banks announces that the models will participate in a “nocturnal creatures in the dark” photo shoot where they would pose in pitch darkness.

“For me it meant the ‘loss’ of another sense, because I couldn’t see or hear anything! There was no translator either, but that didn’t matter in the pitch black,” he says. “It was a fun challenge working with the photographer to find the signs.”

The model reveals that the production would “thump the box to create vibrations,” and on the third “thump,” DiMarco would strike a pose. He says: “It was hard, but the photographer and I laughed the whole time.”

Despite the obstacles he had to overcome, DiMarco won the title America’s Next Top Model and was catapulted into the center of attention overnight.

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“I believed I would go back to teaching math,” he says looking back. “While the experience was exciting, it also came with its own set of challenges. I already had a passion for acting and wanted to pursue it seriously.”

With his newly minted title, DiMarco believed opportunities would come “easy,” and to his surprise, he quickly realized he was “wrong.” Screenwriters, directors and producers “struggled” to authentically include him in their projects. “They were simply not familiar with my world,” he adds.

“It took me a long time to figure out how to pivot,” she admits, noting the “significant gap” in the entertainment industry regarding disability and deaf storytelling. Because of this, DiMarco founded his own production company, Clerc Studio, with the intention of opening its doors.

Nyle DiMarco. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Nearly a decade later, DiMarco’s perception of Fr ANTM “it hasn’t changed at all,” he says.

“It was an incredible opportunity and a great platform for my career,” he explains. “Tyra and I still keep in touch from time to time and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity she gave me and the doors that opened after that.”

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While he has “no regrets,” if he could give his younger self any advice, DiMarco says it would encourage him to “not be afraid to ask any questions.”

“I was so new then and had to figure most things out on my own, but you might be surprised how willing people are to help,” he says. “The key to success is to ask!”

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Source: HIS Education