BY MONIQUE MURPHY
Paralympic Silver Medalist, Speaker and Advocate
@monmurphy
The idea of creating a custom made ring that captured my journey, everything I’ve lost, rebuilt and reclaimed, stirred something deep within me.
THE TURNING POINT
When Everything Changed
After years of carrying my story quietly, it felt empowering to honour it in a way I could hold close every day. I wanted the ring to reflect not just what happened to me, but the courage that helped me rise from it.
In 2014, one fall upended the life I knew. What followed was a blur of surgeries, pain and the daunting task of rebuilding a body and identity that no longer felt familiar.
I had to learn to trust my legs again, confront fear with honesty, and navigate a world that suddenly looked different. Some days bravery meant attempting a single step. Other days, it meant allowing myself to rest. Healing wasn’t predictable. It demanded patience, vulnerability and a strength I didn’t know I had.
“Some days bravery meant attempting a single step. Other days, it meant allowing myself to rest.”
COURAGE THROUGH CHANGE
FINDING FREEDOM
From Movement to Purpose
Swimming became my lifeline. The water offered freedom when everything else felt restrictive. It helped me find movement again, then purpose.
That path led me to the Paralympic podium, where earning silver felt like letting go of past trauma and embracing the strength I’d rebuilt with my family beside me.
THE MEANING WITHIN
What It Means to Be Brave
When choosing an inscription, the words BE BRAVE were the only ones that held the weight of my story.
To me, bravery isn’t loud or fearless. It’s steady, honest and deeply human. It’s holding onto hope when you feel broken, choosing to rise when you’re unsure you can, using your voice to advocate for yourself again and again, and believing in a future that not everyone else may see.
THE STORY IN THE RING
Every Detail Holds Meaning
Nadine brought that meaning to life in a ring that feels like an extension of my heart.
The three gold bands, white, yellow and rose, represent the unexpected crossing of paths and the truth, hope and compassion that helped restore me from the inside out.
The gemstones in the Paralympic colours honour the movement that shaped me, the community that lifted me, and the courage it took to step onto that podium.
A REMINDER CARRIED EVERY DAY
BE BRAVE
WHAT I CARRY FORWARD
A Promise to Myself
I absolutely love my BE BRAVE ring. It’s more than jewellery.
It’s a reminder of my ability to adapt, my growth, and the promise I continue to make to myself every single day: to be brave.