Professional athletes are a source of inspiration to many, displaying skills they worked tirelessly to develop. However, what inspires them is almost always even more impressive, and such is the case with MRU Cougars women’s volleyball star Mya Morgan. Attributing her Jamaican heritage and her father’s tribulations as an immigrant as motivation, Morgan has grown to truly appreciate her roots now more than ever.
“With my dad’s experience growing up in Kingston, there’s definitely a lot of violence there, and the journey that he took to come to Canada and have a safer life has stuck with me a lot,” Morgan said. “That’s a really difficult thing to do. And he’s like the main one that pushes me. A lot of that [motivation] comes from the fact that he knows that I can do it.”
“It taught me a lot about how hard you have to work and that things don’t necessarily come easy. I’m very grateful to be in a developed country and have a bed to sleep in, it definitely changed my perspective.”
Morgan’s family ties are strong amongst her siblings as well, and moving away from her hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba has given Morgan a new appreciation for her two brothers.
“Having brothers can be a little bit of a handful, but I love them nonetheless, they’re like my built-in best friends.” Morgan said. “People say that distance pulls you closer, but I didn’t really feel that way until I actually moved away. It really taught me to cherish the time that I have with them and really appreciate what they’ve done to get me here.”
Happily, though, Morgan found herself a new family with her Cougars teammates, who welcomed her with open arms and made her transition to a new city much easier. As a middle blocker, she defends her team with an unshakeable passion, screaming after every point scored and applauding just about anything her teammates do.
“I spend so much time with [my teammates] here and they mean so much to me,” Morgan said. “They’re my new built-in best friends and we’re always there to support each other when things get difficult because juggling school and volleyball can be a lot sometimes.”
Off the volleyball courts, Morgan expresses herself through her love of music. Passionate about artists like Montel Fish, Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kanye West, and other all-timers, she uses music to amp herself up before games or calm herself in difficult times, something she also attributed to her Jamaican heritage.
“[For] Caribbeans or Jamaicans in general, their love language is through music,” Morgan said. “My dad’s like that and I think I was raised like that as well. I have to shower, cook, clean, and study with music. I got my first bluetooth speaker for christmas and I use it every day because it can help me calm down in certain moments, or it can also pump me up.”
Deeper than that, Morgan understands the difficulty in creating a coherent and beautiful piece of music.
“I have so much appreciation for artists, because [most people] don’t realize how much effort goes into making a song, or making an album, and how much time and commitment it takes to develop music. So when I hear it for the first time and it’s in its final form, I have so much respect for the people that work to produce something like that because it’s not easy.”
Morgan has worked tirelessly to honour her father’s arduous journey as an immigrant, becoming a star in her sport. From her relentless work ethic to develop her game year after year to the supportive nature she brings to her team, Morgan’s appreciation for her family shows in everything she does. With her humility and persistence, there’s nothing the Jamaican-Winnipeg-ian can’t accomplish.