Swimming Towards Hope: Kiera and Tom’s Story 

For most athletes, pain is part of the journey. Early mornings, grueling practices, sore muscles, and mental exhaustion are expected. But for Paralympic swimmer Tom Gallagher from Brisbane, Australia and former Duke University swimmer Kiera Molloy, the pain extended far beyond the pool. 

During a conversation hosted by The National Pancreas Foundation, Tom and Kiera reflected on the remarkable similarities in their experiences despite growing up on opposite sides of the world. Together, they shared what it meant to pursue the sport they loved while living with a disease that repeatedly threatened to take it away. 

A Diagnosis That Changed Everything 

Although their journeys were different, both spent years balancing elite-level swimming with pancreatitis. For Tom, his first pancreatitis attack came unexpectedly when he was just 13 years old. At the time, he was training in surf lifesaving in Australia and had never even heard of pancreatitis. After a morning session, he began experiencing intense stomach pain. “I thought I was having a heart attack,” Tom recalled. “The pain was so significant. I remember thinking I was going to die.” 

His parents rushed him to the hospital, running red lights along the way. What followed was years of searching for answers. Unlike many people with pancreatitis, Tom’s attacks were triggered specifically by intense exercise. Eventually, doctors discovered that during high-level physical exertion, blood flow to his abdominal organs — including the pancreas — was being dramatically restricted. “For about 10 years, I lived attack to attack,” he said. Still, he continued swimming. “In my head, when I was a bit younger, I didn’t think about the future, I didn’t think of the fact that I could be killing myself, which I was. Because I just love my sport.” 

Kiera related deeply to the experience of living between two realities: the exhilaration of elite athletics and the devastation of chronic illness. Both agreed that the pancreas was a “temperamental” organ. “When it’s bad, it’s really bad,” she said. “But when you’re out of it, there’s so much to live for.” Kiera’s pancreatitis began in childhood and wasn’t always tied to exercise. Instead, attacks often followed periods of exhaustion and stress—the reality of balancing collegiate athletics, academics, leadership roles, and everyday life. “It would happen when I got really run down,” she explained. “I was trying to do everything.” Both athletes described the strange emotional contrast of competing at a high level while simultaneously preparing for the possibility of hospitalization. “It felt like living a double life,” Kiera said. 

Loving the Thing That Hurt You 

For Tom and Kiera, swimming represented more than competition. It was identity, purpose, joy, and escape.  “For you Tom, the thing that was bringing you joy and fulfillment was also causing pain,” Kiera stated during their conversation.  

“If I didn’t exercise, I wouldn’t have pancreatitis,” he explained. “But I couldn’t stop. I loved swimming too much.” Even after experiencing severe attacks, he refused to walk away from the sport. One of the most defining moments came at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics (held in 2021). After winning bronze in the 400-meter freestyle, Tom suffered the worst pancreatitis attack of his life. 

“I was so sick I couldn’t even go to the podium to collect my medal,” he said. Instead, he was rushed to a hospital in Tokyo during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, isolated from family, teammates, and familiar support systems for almost a month, in a country where he did not speak the language. His parents received updates from thousands of miles away while Tom endured weeks in a Japanese hospital. “At one point, my organs were starting to shut down,” he said.   

The attack became a turning point. Doctors, coaches, and even Swimming Australia encouraged him to retire. But Tom wasn’t ready. “I told them all to get stuffed. I wasn’t going to stop,” he said. “I knew the consequences if I keep going, but I’m going keep doing it, and I’ll leave it up to you guys to fix it, which is, in hindsight was fairly selfish.” 

The Impact on Family 

While both athletes endured unimaginable physical pain, they agreed it was their families who helped keep them going. In particular, their mothers—both healthcare providers—became their fiercest advocates. 

“The biggest thing for me wasn’t what I missed out on,” he said. “It was the effect it had on my parents and my brother.” His mother, a physician, spent years researching his condition and advocating for solutions. His family rode the emotional roller coaster of every hospitalization, every ambulance ride, and every setback. “They were the ones picking up the pieces,” he reflected. 

Kiera understood that experience well. Her mother, a lifelong nurse, was also deeply involved throughout her medical journey. “She slept in that hospital chair beside me for years,” she said. Their stories highlighted an often-overlooked reality of chronic illness: pancreatitis does not just affect the patient.   

Reaching the Breaking Point 

After Tokyo, Tom’s condition worsened. He began suffering attacks nearly every Saturday after high-intensity swim sessions. “It got to the point where ambulances were being called routinely,” he said. Eventually, the attacks started occurring outside of swimming. Even low-level physical activity such as golf would trigger pain. 

“That was the first time I got really scared,” Tom admitted. “I realized I wasn’t in control anymore.” That fear led to serious conversations about surgery. Doctors identified a rare anatomical issue involving the median arcuate ligament and restricted blood flow near the celiac artery. Surgery could potentially relieve the compression and stop the attacks — but there were risks. 

For Tom, however, the decision felt simple. “There was a chance it could fix it,” he said. “That was enough for me.” 

 Kiera felt the same sense of hope when she learned there was a surgical option for her pancreatitis. “When they told me there was something they could do, I immediately asked for the earliest surgery date,” she said. 

In the fall of her junior year, Kiera underwent a more than 10-hour total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT). During the procedure, her pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, appendix, and part of her small intestine were removed. Because the pancreas produces insulin, her insulin-producing islet cells were carefully extracted and transplanted into her liver to help preserve insulin production. As a result, she became a Type 3C diabetic and is now insulin-dependent. For her, however, managing diabetes was a worthwhile trade-off for the freedom from the relentless pain of pancreatitis. 

After years of living with pancreatitis, both athletes were ready to reclaim control.

Recovery and Returning to the Pool 

Tom underwent surgery and quickly focused on getting back to training. 

"I probably rushed recovery a bit," he said. Within four months, he was back in the water and swimming personal best times. Pancreatitis may have stolen the opportunity for him to stand at the podium, but at the 2024 Paris Paralympic games, Tom won gold in the men's S10 50m freestyle with a time of 23.40.  

Kiera described a similar experience after her own major surgery. Although recovery was physically demanding, returning to the pool after six weeks felt transformative. "I came back feeling like a different person," she said. "I finally got rid of the thing that was causing so much pain."  Her hard work quickly paid off. Just three months after her TPIAT, Kiera competed in the 400 IM at the ACC Championship Meet, finishing in 4:17.41 and setting a new team record. 

For both, returning back to the pool became part of the healing process. 

Looking Ahead 

Now attack-free following surgery, Tom has fully shifted his focus toward the future. 

His sights are set on the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. 

He now trains under renowned Australian coach Dean Boxall and embraces every opportunity to push himself physically — something that once came with fear. "Back then, I couldn't train as hard as I wanted because I knew it could send me to the hospital," he said. "Now I just feel lucky to be able to do it." 

For Kiera, who now works as a mental health counselor supporting student-athletes at the University of Pittsburgh, the conversation reinforced something she sees every day: resilience born through adversity. Even after surgeries and physical healing, the emotional impact of chronic illness can linger. 

Tom acknowledged that the year after Tokyo was one of the hardest periods of his life mentally. "I was scared," he said. "I had PTSD from what happened." But over time, both athletes found ways to move forward — not by ignoring what they endured, but by integrating it into who they became. 

More Than Survival 

For Tom and Kiera, pancreatitis took a great deal from them: time, certainty, celebrations, peace of mind, and years of physical suffering. But it also gave them perspective, resilience and an appreciation for every healthy day. 

More importantly, their stories serve as a reminder that even after unimaginable pain, it is still possible to dream, compete, heal, and move forward. "As hard as it was," Kiera reflected, "I can look back now and feel gratitude for the perspective it gave me." 

A Message for Pancreatitis Warriors 

Tom: “My biggest learning experience from this is that you’re not alone, and you’re allowed to use the people around you. For me, it was my mum and dad, and my brother. Relying on people, it doesn’t mean you are weak. Big support networks like The National Pancreas Foundation are there to help as well.” 

Kiera: “You can still live for the healthy days, the healthy moments, and the moments that are pain-free, It’s really hard to sometimes remember that they exist when you’re down, and when you’re in pain, and when you’re struggling. Really lean into the times when you feel good, and you feel healthy. Even if you’re at a place where they’re few and far between, know that they will always come back around, and there will be moments of relief, and use those moments to carry you through some of the really hard times.” 

Although their stories unfolded on international stages and collegiate swim meets, many of the emotions they described—fear of the next attack, missed milestones, uncertainty, and hope for better days—are familiar to thousands of people living with pancreatitis. Their journeys serve as a reminder that resilience isn’t measured by medals, but by continuing to move forward despite chronic illness. 

 Thank you, Tom and Kiera, for sharing your vulnerability and story.  

To listen to the full interview: https://bit.ly/SwimmingTowardsHope  

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