McNulty, Gorman Named First Medal of Inspiration Honorees
LANCASTER, Pa. - Every day, student-athletes grind through the pressures of playing the sport they love while maintaining a strong grade status in the classroom and support in the community. However, when you battle more serious obstacles, physically or in your personal life, you become an inspiration to all.
In the first year of the Atlantic East Conference, an award was created to honor those individuals that battled through adversity to become stronger versions of themselves. The Medal of Inspiration was earned by two individuals in the inaugural year: Neumann University's
Joseph Gorman and Marymount University's
Clare McNulty.
Both individuals shared a similar struggle over their collegiate careers, overcoming the rare neurological condition of Chiari Malformation, a disorder where the bottom part of the brain (the cerebellum) descends out of the skull and crowds the spinal cord, putting pressure on both the brain and the spine.
Joey's Journey...
Graduating high school from Neumann Goretti in Philadelphia as one of the best pitchers in the area, Gorman decided to remain in the city and attend Division I St. Joseph's to continue his baseball career.
Although already being aware of the Chiari Malformation since the age of 12, the defect never caused his major problems until his freshman year. While weight lifting, he gained some tingling in his neck and lost feeling in his leg and arm.
Over the next two years, he had two brain surgeries and two arm surgeries.
Continuing the fight to get back on the baseball field, by his junior year he finally got to play his first season of college baseball with the Hawks at first base and as a pinch hitter.
He played three seasons with the Hawks before graduating and playing a year with Neumann during graduate school in 2018. He continued his help with the Knight program this past season as an assistant coach, with his primary focus with the pitchers.
VIDEO ABOUT JOEY ON 6ABC IN 2015
Clare's Journey...
During her freshman year she sustained a concussion in a game. Unfortunately for Clare, her concussion exacerbated symptoms associated with Chiari malformation. During Clare's sophomore year she underwent Chiari malformation decompression surgery and a C1-C2 vertebrae fusion.
The surgery was a success and McNulty was progressing well during her junior year. However, she developed an arachnoid web on her spine that was compressing her spinal cord and caused neurological symptoms. She underwent another surgery during the spring of her junior year, ultimately being a career-ending operation.
Throughout the entire process, Clare rallied around her team from the sidelines as a positive influence and motivator. Even more so, Clare's team rallied around her, as they understood what she was going through was far bigger than basketball. During her junior year, she inspired her teammates to dye a portion of their hair purple to bring awareness to Chiari malformation. During this past season, Clare's teammates put P4C (Play-4-Clare) on their shoes as inspiration to keeping pushing despite how hard a practice or game was because that is exactly what Clare would be doing.
In between surgeries and setbacks, Clare remained part of the team as a manager, celebrating on the bench and using her leadership to make a profound impact on all those she has encountered.
VIDEO ABOUT CLARE ON WJLA ABC7 IN 2017