Calgary’s Morgan Bird determined to be a voice for Paralympic movement in Canada
“She found her niche, right. What she was called to.”
Calgary swimmer Morgan Bird has been to two Paralympic games and currently has her name on nine Canadian records. Excelling in the pool is still her passion, but as Brendan Parker explains she’s also dedicated to sharing that passion with future athletes. Global News
By Brendan Parker, Global News April 12, 2017
Morgan Bird still remembers the exact moment swimming became her sport.
“I had lots of check-ups at the children’s hospital and they were telling me what I was doing at one of my swim practices was doing the same thing that my physio exercises were doing, and I absolutely hated physio, so that was an incentive to stay in the sport,” Bird said.
Morgan was born with cerebral palsy, which affects the left side of her body. Growing up, she tried a number of sports, but it was the pool that became her sanctuary.
“Swimming has benefited me beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said.” I couldn’t imagine my life without it.”
“We’ve always told our kids, ‘you can do whatever you want,’” said Morgan’s father Garth Bird. “We never looked at Morgan with a disability, it wasn’t about a disability, it was about getting into some kind of sport that she could do.”
Swimming has give Morgan more than she ever dreamed possible, including nine Canadian records and the opportunity to compete in two Paralympic Games — London 2012 and Rio 2016.
“Honestly, looking back now, I never would have thought,” Morgan said. “Like, if you were to tell my 11-year-old self that I would have come this far, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
“We put her into swimming, not ever expecting her to achieve what she’s achieved, it’s been an incredible journey,” her father added.
Now at age 23, Morgan’s passions include giving back to the sport that gave her so much.
“I find it very important for me to raise people’s awareness about the Paralympic movement any chance I get,” she said.
Every month Morgan works with Keziah Heppner, a nine-year-old swimmer who also has cerebral palsy.
“Even if my story touches one young person and gets them involved in sport, that’s very meaningful to me,” Morgan said.
Source Global News
| Morgan Bird embraced competitive swimming at age 11 as an alternative to physiotherapy in helping to manage her cerebral palsy. Today she is a veteran of two paralympics and a fixture on the national team. Telus Storyhive. Youtube Jul 27, 2017 |
Also see
Morgan Bird: Inspiration in and out of the pool in Swim Alberta
Morgan Bird in Rare Mettle
Morgan Bird and the women’s relay team leave Rio flying high in The Toronto Observer
