Olympian shares secrets behind Summer Games
Chills raced up Morgan Craft’s spine as she entered Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro to chants of “U-S-A!”
“I felt like a part of history at that point in time,” she said. “I couldn’t stop smiling as we paraded around the stadium.”
The Muncy Valley, Pennsylvania, native — and current No. 1 ranked women’s Olympic trapshooter — admitted that much of her experiences of competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil will stick with her forever.
“I got to wish Kerry Walsh good luck as she entered the volleyball stadium near Copacabana Beach,” she said. “And I had Michael Phelps sit in the seat next to me as we prepared to start walking to the Opening Ceremonies. We sat and chatted about — at that time — his new son Boomer and his battery-operated light-up flag bearer’s jacket.”
Craft went on to finish fifth in the Olympic women’s trap shooting competition — and while she has spent the past few years finishing her schooling to be a physician’s assistant and starting a family — she eyes a return to the Olympics in 2024.
“It was a struggle to overcome not coming home with a medal, especially after I felt I possessed the talent to do so. It was a very humbling experience,” she said. “I am trained to learn from my faults and failures, and it still feels as if I have unfinished business.”
Rural roots
Craft’s father and grandparents were heavily involved in the Sullivan County 4H program, and she was first introduced to rifle shooting.
“My family has always been heavily involved in the outdoors, hunting and conservation,” she said. “I grew up in an environment where I was taught to love and respect nature and the animals that inhabit it.”
After a few years in the .22 rifle program, Craft switched to shotguns and discovered at age 14 the world of Olympic skeet shooting.
“I believe the community that surrounded me and the quality of my coaching at the time played a large part in my continued passion for the sport,” she said. “Shooting is always the one thing I can’t go a day without thinking about.”
Morgan (Craft) Boerboon
Craft shot less than a year of Olympic skeet before she was involved with the 2008 USA National Shooting Championships in Colorado Springs.
“Our national championships are open, meaning you don’t have to qualify to compete,” she remembered. “I finished dead-last at my very first national competition. I’ll never forget it.”
However, the experience of competing far outweighed the disappointment of finishing last.
“The thrill of being out on the field competing with the best shooters in the country was just one of the reasons I love this sport so much,” she said, adding that one of her favorite memories came from that event.
“I was randomly selected to be on the same squad as — at that time — three-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode. I remember being awestruck and completely beside myself when she agreed to take a photo with me,” Craft said. “Eight years later, Kim and I were teammates in the Olympics where she earned the bronze medal and I placed two spots behind her in fifth.
“I marvel at how our sport allows athletes to compete next to idols we used to look up to as kids.”
The rural ties were key in her development as a person — and a shooter, she admitted.
“I had a public shooting range within 10 minutes from where I lived (North Mountain Sportsmen’s Association). I grew up there in the 4H program and had access to a field to train on multiple days a week until we chose to build our own field,” she said. “I’ve always been thankful to live out in the country with very few neighbors because you can imagine the amount of noise I make while training!”
Olympic experience
Before flying into Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Team USA brought all of its Olympic athletes into Houston for what Craft called “team processing.”
“This included a briefing of what to expect in the Olympic Village, expectations of us as athletes and a reminder of advertising and sponsorship legalities surrounding the Olympic Games,” she said. “We were fit for our opening and closing ceremony outfits and different companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Omega, P&G, Oakley and other sponsors provided us with all sorts of merchandise and goodies before sending us off to Brazil.”
The group was then escorted by Homeland Security to the Houston airport to board for the trip. Upon arrival in Brazil, buses transported the team to the Olympic Village.
“There was a two-mile radius around the village that was blockaded off with no public access — along with security at every entrance — so there was no reason to feel unsafe,” she said.
The USA athletes all stayed together in one large building with multi-occupancy rooms.
“The cafeteria was probably the largest building in the village,” Craft said. “They provided a large variety of foods that spanned most continents.”
Other buildings in the complex included a McDonalds, post office, nail salon, gym and the Coca-Cola launch that had virtual reality, video games, foosball and pool tables to keep athletes occupied during down times.
“Every evening, athletes would gather in the common area and watch the various events our teammates were competing in that day,” Craft said. “We ate, slept and breathed sports for two weeks straight.”
Getting tickets to gain access to different venues to watch other sporting events was like a lottery drawing, according to Craft.
“We were never sure how many leftover tickets they would allow for athletes, so we signed up for the events we wanted to see the most, and it was first-come, first-served once it was decided how many tickets would be handed out,” she said. “I personally was able to watch men and women’s gymnastics, men’s diving and team equestrian events.”
Athletes were allowed to come and go as they pleased as long as they kept their ID and clearances at all times.
Family sightseeing
Beyond the competition part of the Olympics, Craft was happy to share much of the trip with her family, including her husband, parents, in-laws and two of her aunts.
“It was nice enjoying a night out having dinner with my family and walking the beach after I was finished competing,” she said.
They got to visit the Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue.
“The expansive views we experienced at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain were breathtaking,” she said. “You could look down upon Rio de Janeiro and appreciate the vast beauty of the entire city.”
Whirlwind return
Four days after returning from Rio de Janeiro, Craft received a call from DeSales University about a last-minute opening for the school’s physician assistant program. She started class the very next day.
“I jumped at a chance to pursue my dreams of becoming a physician assistant and dove right into receiving my Master’s degree,” she said.
Craft graduated in August of 2018 and began working as a physician assistant in general surgery at St. Luke’s University Health Network two months later.
Last summer, Craft and her then-fiance became certified in open water SCUBA diving, which was “another dream I’ve had since I was a little girl,” she said.
This past September, Craft married Nick Bourbon.
“We promised each other forever in front of our closest family and friends,” she said. “So, over the past several years, I’ve checked off some major life events and I am looking forward to getting back into training with these new responsibilities in tow.”
Morgan (Craft) Boerboon
Craft’s long-term goal is to medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“I need to find the proper balance between work, training and personal time to be able to successfully focus on accomplishing all my goals over the next four years,” she admitted.
Offering advice
When Craft first started competing, there weren’t many females that shot Olympic skeet.
“Over the past decade, our sport has really grown, and with that, the talent has increased and the competition has become tougher,” she said.
When addressing young women who look up to her, Craft admits that she is honored to even be in a position of such influence.
“I urge young women to look up to themselves and be better than I ever was,” she said. “Continue to yearn to become a better you than you were yesterday. Invest in your future and never sell yourself short. Lift others up while staying humble, and you’ll never be disappointed in yourself.”
For those who want to take a serious look at competitive shooting, her advice is simply to practice as much as you can
“There is wisdom that comes from experience. Compete in as many matches as you can. Repetition is key,” she said. “Failure is a large part of success, as long as you learn from your mistakes. Also, don’t be afraid to access your allies — seek help when you feel you need it.”
Craft added that she feels blessed to have the experiences she has enjoyed so far in her life.
“Being an athlete opened so many opportunities, such as traveling the world, meeting incredible people and making a positive impact on others,” she said.
