Sept. 2 Update: Morgan Stickney Wins Gold and Sets World Record at Paralympic 2024 Games in Paris
Sept. 4 Update: Morgan Stickney Claims Silver for USA in 100m Freestyle S7)
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Meet two-time Paralympic Gold medalist swimmer Morgan Stickney as she prepares to compete at the Paralympic Games of Paris 2024.
Today marks the official start of the Paralympic Games of Paris 2024. We were honored to talk with two-time Paralympic Gold medalist swimmer Morgan Stickney to celebrate the athleticism, agility, and strength in action at the 2024 Paralympics events. A gifted swimmer since her youth, she shined the light on her orthopaedic journey, which intertwines cutting-edge techniques, dedication, and collaboration between surgeons, coaches, and sports medicine therapists from Duke, the Triangle Aquatic Center, Mass General Brigham, and the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center.
Struck by a foot injury at age 14 that became a staph infection, Morgan was plagued with unrelenting pain. After several years with few solutions, surgeons at Mass General Brigham performed one of the first Ewing amputation procedures on Morgan to combat the pain she experienced from years of trying to heal. Further, her surgical team discovered that she had a rare cardiovascular condition blocking the blood flow to her lower legs. This resulted in losing both feet and, later, her lower legs.
As Morgan faced continual setbacks, she found her ‘peace’ training in the pool. She and her family decided to shift geographically. Morgan shared, "My parents told me that we will go wherever the best fit is for you personally and professionally." However, finding a good space for her swim training and orthopaedic treatment was a tall order. Her family researched and interviewed hospitals and surgeons across the U.S. to find people to entrust with her extraordinarily unique and challenging situation.
After interviewing six surgeons, she chose to work with William Eward, MD, DVM, the Duke Orthopaedic Oncology division chief and director of the residency program.
She said, “I liked Dr. Eward because he empathized with my situation and genuinely wanted to help me—it was an instant fit.”
“I don't know where to start when I begin talking about Morgan. I met Morgan when she came to Duke for a second opinion about her rare condition and her amputations, which were starting to fail and would need to be revised. She took an immediate interest in helping others, and she was accommodating and motivational to a few of my pediatric cancer patients who had undergone amputations. Morgan's condition is rare and poorly understood, and we established a relationship to try and help her improve. I didn't know she would help us so much along the way,” shared Dr. Eward.
He continued, “Orthopaedic oncology and veterinary medicine both share a need to be creative in our approach to problems. We don't always have a known solution or - in Morgan's case - a firm grasp on the pathology. So, this work is about building a relationship with the patient, figuring out the needs, and developing creative solutions.”
Completing 28 surgeries since age 14, Morgan revealed she has already spent one-third of 2024 in the hospital undergoing treatments. “I never know if I will get back to training and later competing in the pool.” She continues to thrive due to family, friends, and the holistic and supportive care provided by Dr. Eward, the Duke orthopaedic oncology nurses like Kate Ericson, MSN, RN, FNP, FNP-C, Nicole Mouser, RN, BSN, and Pam Pennigar, MSN, FNP, and their collective partnership with Mass General Brigham.
“Dr. Eward is a fantastic person and surgeon who understood my goals. He keeps his promises. When you find this type of match, it’s extraordinary. Out of 28 surgeries, the recent one performed by Dr. Eward was the ONLY one that did not encounter an infection. It was a rare surgery that showed a surprising level of challenges we did not know until he went in during the surgery.”
Before her most recent surgery, Morgan and Dr. Eward placed a friendly wager on the table. She challenged him post-recovery to race her in the pool. “If I win, I’d like you to come to Paris,” she declared.
When the timing was right, the pair met at the pool for the challenge. One of the pediatric oncology patients under Dr. Eward’s care, who became friends with Morgan, came to the event to cheer on the competitors. She is a big fan of Morgan, so witnessing this challenge was a happy activity.
Dr. Eward shared, “This was a funny story. I swam in college, and although I'm old and out of shape, I thought I would have a huge advantage because I have my legs. Legs are significant for swimming. While some swimmers use their kick more than others for propulsion, for EVERY swimmer, the legs are important for stabilizing the body, pushing off the walls, "underwaters," etc. So, going into this race against Morgan, I thought, What will I do if I'm faster than her? I should probably let her win. Then, I jumped into the water to warm up, and the reality immediately hit me: This woman was exceptionally fast. I'm not just going to lose. I am going to lose by a mile. So, yeah, I was arrogant to think that I might be faster than her. I still don't know how she goes as fast as she goes. I guarantee you will be amazed if you tune into her races in Paris.
Morgan embodies how you can take what life gives you and turn it into anything you can dream of. It's a lot harder for Morgan. Every high-level athlete deals with pain, fatigue, loss of motivation, etc. - and they must learn how to master themselves to overcome these things. Morgan would sometimes send me pictures of her legs after long practices to say, 'Is this normal?' it was amazing to see how battered they were and think about how she had just completed several hours of training like that.”
The orthopaedic oncology team also appreciates how great she has been with other young patients. She brings in her medals to show them. She swims with them. She has gone on a trip to the Duke Lemur Center. She brings hope and sunshine to kids dealing with cancer. She doesn't have to do this. She does it because she's a kind person.
She competed and won gold in Tokyo (during COVID-19). However, Paris will be the first time with an audience of fans, including her parents, brothers, best friends, and the three surgeons making positive differences in her life at Duke and Mass General Brigham–Spaulding Rehabilitation will attend. Due to her recent surgeries, she was classified into a different Paralympian category, so much of what she will encounter is ‘new.’
When we spoke, she was stationed at the training facility in Germany. Her competition schedule includes the 200m IM on Aug. 31, the 400m free (her favorite) on Sept. 2, and the 100m free on Sept. 4.
“Swimming has been my coping mechanism throughout my entire life. It fuels me. I have been dreaming of this Olympic moment for a long time. I am so excited to show the special people in my life what I can do in Paris.”
Duke is cheering you on from NC, Morgan. Best wishes!