Nyle DiMarco: I didn't know a deaf person could dance as perfectly as Peta Murgatroyd and I did on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Nyle DiMarco never thought he'd be dancing -- nevermind winning Dancing with the Stars.


DiMarco, who is also the reigning winner of America's Next Top Model, walked away with the Season 22 mirrorball trophy Tuesday night with his pro partner Peta Murgatroyd. DiMarco overcame many obstacles as a deaf contestant to win.

During a Wednesday appearance on Good Morning America with the runner-up couple Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas as well as third-place finishers Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy, DiMarco joked about what his next feat is going to be.

"Top Chef," DiMarco signed as his translator interpreted. "Maybe! I need to sharpen up on my cooking skills."

On a more serious note, DiMarco admitted he never thought he'd accomplish something like this in his life.


"I've never dreamed [of this]. Obviously it's a really strong relationship between sound and music. You have to think, 'Can a deaf person really dance to the music as perfectly as we did?' I just didn't know if we were really going to be able to do that. We really just took it week to week, worked hard and made it work!" DiMarco said.

"This whole journey has just been so special," Murgatroyd said on GMA.

"Nyle, coming onto this show with all the courage in the world, he is absolutely fearless. And I will take that with me for the rest of my life because he has taught me so many lessons and made me a better teacher... He's such a great friend and it was an awesome experience."

After DiMarco's final dance of the season, DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave him feedback in sign language, thanking him for showing America his big heart through his performances this season. The gesture brought tears to DiMarco's eyes in the ballroom last night.

"It was really very touching. She actually took the time to learn sign language. You don't really see that often in this world, so that really meant a lot to me and it touched me. It hit me right at the heart," DiMarco admitted.


Also during their appearance, DiMarco revealed he's "very single," and former Top Model judge Miss J. Alexander paid him a visit to congratulate all of his success on Dancing with the Stars.

"It's been a long journey. I got to watch most of the show... Working with him on Top Model was an interesting experience because in the beginning, I thought, 'Maybe this is going to be difficult for him.' But he's proven everything and more," Alexander said, adding that he didn't know DiMarco could dance. "He's a really great student."






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski