PHOENIX, Arizona, June 24. MARIN Morrison was one of the most inspirational stories to come out of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The teenager, whom doctors discovered had a brain tumor in 2005, struggled to complete three swimming events at the Games after suffering a near fatal stroke just months prior.
After years battling brain cancer, Morrison passed away in February of 2009. NBC chronicled her story throughout the Games, and a documentary film titled “Touch the Wall — The Marin Morrison Story” was eventually released. Now, her father Matt Morrison is asking the swimming community for help. He has created a
Kickstarter campaign page to raise funds to cover the publishing costs for the book “Touch — The Marin Morrison Story.”
Here is an excerpt from the Kickstarter website:
Before she died of brain cancer, she was an American record holder, an honored guest at the White House and commanded a standing ovation at the Water Cube in Beijing. Before she was paralyzed, lost her speech, and before she survived four brain surgeries, she was already an inspiration.
Marin Morrison lived more in her brief 18 years than most people could in a century. Her courageous struggle through tragedy, determination and triumph has been profiled by award-winning journalists in NBC's coverage of the 2008 Paralympic Games, in the pages of Sports Illustrated, and in an amazing documentary film.
But the heart of this story lies much deeper within our extraordinary journey. It's about how an uncommonly sweet, simple and unassuming girl was the toughest person you'll ever know. How her perseverance touched millions around the world and inspired everyday heroes that touched us in return.
No one can tell this story the way I can. I'm a professional sports journalist myself and I didn't just chronicle Marin's story – I lived it with her. I'm her Dad.
There are 23 days left in the Morrison's Kickstarter campaign, which ends Thursday July 18. His goal is to raise $45,000 to cover editing and publishing costs for the book. So far, the campaign has raised nearly $17,000.
Visit the Kickstarter campaign page here