ANTM’s Nyle DiMarco Opens Up About His ‘Challenging’ Journey (Exclusive)

Nyle DiMarco is no stranger to breaking barriers.

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

When DiMarco looks back at his near decades-long career, he isn’t afraid to give kudos to the competitive reality series that started it all. America’s Next Top Model ran for 24 seasons, and as the series progressed, began featuring plus-size, petite and male models.

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

While the model says he’s “grateful” for the platform ANTM gave him to represent the deaf community “in a truly positive light,” he acknowledges 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 was not always on set,” DiMarco recalls. “My fellow contestants were generally understanding, though it was still challenging for me. Having grown up in a completely deaf community and household, I was not used to the experience of not being included in conversations and social settings at all times.”

Still, he assures fans that the exclusion “was not intentional” and was just “a normal part of the process for everyone.”

“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 adds.

DiMarco recalls one standout moment from his time on ANTM. In cycle 22 episode 13, host and judge Tyra Banks announces that the models will partake in a “night creatures in the dark” photoshoot where they’d pose in the pitch black.

“For me, it meant ‘losing’ another sense, as I couldn’t see or hear anything! There was also no interpreter present, but that didn’t matter in the pitch-black,” he says. “It was a fun challenge to work with the photographer to come up with cues.”

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

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

“I had believed I would return 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 that seriously.”

With his newly minted title, DiMarco believed opportunities would come “easily,” and to his surprise, he quickly realized he was “mistaken.” Writers, directors and producers “struggled” with authentically including him in their projects. “They simply weren’t familiar with my world,” he adds.

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

Nearly a decade later, DiMarco’s perception of ANTM “has not changed at all,” he says.

“It was an incredible opportunity and a major platform for my career,” he explains. “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.”

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While he doesn’t “have major regrets,” if he could give his younger self any advice, DiMarco says he’d encourage himself to “not be afraid to ask any 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,” he says. “The key to success is to ask!”