Paralympic Swimmer Shreds Megadeth With Gold Medal Pick

When Paralympic swimmer Alice Tai received her gold medal for the 100m backstroke at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she noticed something special about its shape. The medal looked exactly like a guitar pick, and she knew instantly what she had to do.

The 27-year-old champion didn't waste time putting her new "pick" to the test. She grabbed her guitar and recorded herself shredding through Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction," posting the video to TikTok where it quickly went viral.

"I think it looks like a guitar pick which is fun, because I play guitar," Tai told TNT Sport right after her win. "I'm definitely going to try it out when I get home… might have some interesting tonal qualities."

Tai's life is a masterclass in refusing to be defined by limits. Born with clubfoot, she was wheelchair-bound until age 12 when she had her foot amputated. Since then, she's collected multiple Paralympic gold medals and earned a neuroscience degree.

When she's not dominating in the pool, Tai plays guitar in her band BLUSH! and shares covers on TikTok. Her repertoire ranges from acoustic versions of 1950s classics like "Mr. Sandman" to punk rock covers of Green Day's "American Idiot."

Why This Inspires

Tai's playful moment with her medal captures something deeper about human potential. She's teaching guitar to fellow Paralympic athletes and showing that passion doesn't have to fit in one box. A world-class swimmer can also be a scientist, a musician, and someone who finds joy in the quirky details of life.

The video resonates because it's pure celebration without pretense. She saw something fun, followed through on the idea, and shared it with the world. That kind of lighthearted confidence comes from someone who's overcome real challenges and knows what truly matters.

Her choice of Megadeth wasn't random either. She joked about loving "heavy medal" when describing the gold's weight, showing the quick wit that makes her social media presence so engaging.

Alice Tai reminds us that our victories are meant to be celebrated, our talents are meant to be shared, and sometimes the best thing we can do with our achievements is rock out.