Morgan Stickney loved swimming since she was young, but a rare vascular disease threatened to end her budding athletic career when it forced the amputation of her lower left leg in 2018 and her lower right leg less than two years after that.
But Stickney was able to undergo an experimental amputation surgery in Boston that reconnected her muscles and nerves, enabling them to more effectively control prosthetic limbs and allowing her to still pursue her beloved sport. She joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to talk about her journey and her first place finish in Tokyo at the Summer Paralympic Games in August.
“Swimming was how I was able to cope with it all,” she said of recovering from amputations. In Tokyo, she won gold in the 400-meter freestyle S8 and the medley relay. “Everyone faces difficulties in life and it’s really just about getting back up again and not letting them knock you down.”
WATCH: New Hampshire paralympian struck gold after two amputations
