Meet Morgan

GB Para Cycling Team rising star. Koalaa collaborator.

Morgan Newberry, age 25, is a rising star in the world of para cycling and a member of the Great Britain Cycling Team. We were thrilled to work with Morgan on the development of our new Sarah Pro cycling tool, which is designed for recreational and competitive road bike users.

Here is what Morgan had to say about cycling with a limb difference and how the new tool has impacted on her performance.

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When did you first discover a love for cycling?

I have always liked cycling and ridden a bike, but it was never anything competitive. That changed when I went to Uni and got involved with a GB talent programme. Things just went from there. I’m now a paracyclist for the Great Britain Cycling Team doing endurance road and track races. 

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What has your experience with prosthetics been?

My whole childhood, I never used anything. When I was a child, I had some limbs from the NHS, but they were literally just cosmetic hands that actually made you unable to do anything with them and that properly put me off. I just worked out a way of doing things myself and rode a normal bike. 

I'm pretty sure that everyone who's born with a limb difference does that - just works things out for themselves. It wasn’t until I was 25 that I realised using tools for certain things can make a big difference when finding the tools that actually work! You need to keep your horizons expanded, not be closed to things. 

Before, when I was riding without using anything, it was a little bit sketchy. When I started riding road bikes, it was even harder to get away with. So, once I got into cycling properly, I sorted out the brakes and gears so I could just do everything with my right hand and use both brakes and gears. I also used some makeshift adaptations - not prosthetics as such, just things that helped my riding feel a bit safer. Last year I got an NHS prosthetic for the bike, I was feeling at a disadvantage racing without a prosthetic but unfortunately what they could offer just did not work on a road bike and I found it very uncomfortable for my arm.  

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How did you first discover Koalaa?

I had come across Koalaa Limb Buddy Sarah before, and I went on to buy an ALX sleeve and the Nicole tool after seeing videos of a yoga event Koalaa arranged. It was exactly what I was looking for, for stretching and the gym. 

When Koalaa then asked if I’d like to test out a new tool they were developing for road bikes – the Sarah Pro - I was very happy to get involved.

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How has the Sarah Pro aided your performance?

When it first arrived, I was a bit sceptical about it because obviously, I'd never used a prosthetic before – and especially not one that had been successful on a bike. But the first day I used it, I was like, ‘I can never go back!’  

It's been a few months now since I got it and I've been using it every time I go out on the bike. I'm literally like, ‘How did I ride a bike before?’. I really wasn’t sure if it was going to work at the level I needed it to - I'm doing a lot of miles on it. I'm going fast on it. I need to be in an aggressive position. But it has been amazing!

For me, I think I had always just got away with being wonky on the bike. My arm is long enough that I can manage on a normal bike, but it's uncomfortable and gave me no leverage. Looking back on it, it's way safer now because the tool just hooks on with the ability to easily take it on or off. When it's on the bars, you know it's on, full trust in the tool. It's really good.

Whereas before, I was riding with this little strap that I had around my arm. It wasn’t very secure and if I went over a massive bump, or say it was raining, then my arm might slip off the bars which obviously isn’t ideal.

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Tell us about climbing hills!

I do hill climbs for fun. They're a bit niche - it's just like you against the bike and you're obviously against the hill and a stopwatch. In the first month of getting the new Sarah Pro tool I did a hill climb event, it was a very steep short climb and usually this sort of climb I find difficult, due to really not having enough leverage to get myself up the climb. But because my Koalaa allows me to climb in a different way and without worry I could give the hill climb my all and finished 40watts up on my 1 minute best power! Which is pretty mad. 

From a performance point of view, I am like, ‘Oh my God, that's pretty mega!’ So, for hills it’s made a huge difference for me.

Now when I ride a bike without using my Koalaa, I literally hate every minute whenever it's not just the flat road - I think because I'm now used to not being wonky! Every time I ride like that, it feels so horrible. 

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What’s the best thing about Koalaa?

For me, I think the biggest thing - and what I think is really cool - is that anyone with a limb difference like mine who wants to, can now just go and buy a road bike and a Koalaa and jump onto a bike and be safer than riding just one handed.

I've had my Koalaa yoga tool for over a year now, and what really appealed to me was that it was weight bearing so I could use it to stretch properly. I've been to quite a few yoga classes since, and it definitely helps. I use it in the gym too. It's very comfortable. 

Basically, I wear my Koalaa all the time now. Even if I'm doing squats, I will wear it for that, because it just makes me feel balanced. If I don't wear it, I'm like, ‘I need it!’.

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What’s next for you and your Koalaa?

I’m planning to take it to Zurich with me for the UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in September!

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From the whole team at Koalaa we want to say a huge thank you to Morgan for collaborating with us throughout the design process of the Sarah Pro - Morgan's feedback, which has contributed to elements of the final design, has been invaluable!

Contact a limb buddy today to order yours - hi@yourkoalaa.com