Margot Ridgeway and Kylie Wise have been best friends for as long as they can remember. From summer vacations and swim team to playing on rivalry sports teams, one thing has always been true – they have always had each other’s back.

“Margot and I have been inseparable since childhood, always pushing each other to be better, whether in school, sports, or life,” explained Kylie. “During COVID, we tackled our first half marathon together, another challenge we faced side by side. But nothing could have prepared us for what came next.”

In June of 2020, Margot suffered an ischemic stroke at the age of 20.

The morning of her stroke, Margot was working out with a friend when she developed a migraine with aura. She had experienced this type of migraine before, so not thinking much of it, she went home to take a nap. After she woke up, she went out with friends and later that night she started experiencing stroke symptoms, which included speech difficulty and balance issues while walking. When she tried to text friends about what was going on, the text messages came through as gibberish.

“Margot is always very articulate so when I woke up on June 24^th and saw her text messages from the night before, I immediately was nervous that something was wrong,” Kylie said. “I was so worried that I explained what was going on to my dad, and he immediately thought it was a stroke.”

Margot went home to go to bed because of her migraine, but when she woke up her mom knew something was wrong and immediately took her to the hospital. Due to a slight head bump she had earlier in the day, doctors initially thought it was a concussion and sent Margot home but told her to come back if she developed any other symptoms, such as numbness.

“Thankfully, at the time I was home from college due to COVID, so my mom was there to get me help,” explained Margot. “But that also meant that I had to go into the hospital alone while having difficulties communicating, which was scary.”

Two days later Margot started to lose feeling on the right side of her body and went back to the hospital for additional scans. With her history of concussions as a D-1 athlete, they again thought it was a severe concussion. It was then that Margot and her family decided to see a concussion specialist.

After four days and three trips to the hospital, the concussion specialist knew this was not a concussion and sent Margot for an MRI. During the MRI, she was abruptly pulled from the machine and told her brain was bleeding. They immediately rushed her to the hospital for a stroke.

“It was a complete shock when Margot told me she had a stroke,” said Kylie. “She has always been the epitome of health and fitness; healthy eating habits, and a 20-year-old, D-1 soccer player. I never would have imagined something like this could happen to her.”

Margot was in the hospital for over a week recovering from her speech and physical symptoms, while her doctors worked to figure out what caused her stroke. They quickly learned that the cause was due to a hole in her heart known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which had gone undetected since birth, and the blood clots that originated due to hormonal birth control.

“The future of my life and soccer career rested in the hands of doctors who, I feared, didn’t fully understand the bigger picture,” explained Margot. “Up until that point, soccer had been my identity, and without their approval, the sport I loved might no longer be a part of my future.”

Due to COVID protocols at the time, Margot was left in her hospital bed alone, googling hopelessly trying to find support as an athlete who had suffered a stroke. That’s when she came across Tedy Bruschi’s story.

“It was in hearing Tedy’s recovery story and his return to football, that helped me understand healing is never a straight path from A to B,” said Margot. “There will always be obstacles along the way but facing them with gratitude and a deep belief that everything happens for a reason makes all the difference.”

Once released from the hospital, Margot started a 6-month round of blood thinning shots, speech and physical therapy, and set her PFO surgery date for the end of October 2020. While completing her recovery from home in New Jersey, she took her fall semester courses online and finished therapy.

“I’m very fortunate that due to my age and severity of my stroke, my physical recovery was extremely smooth. But after my surgery,  the hormonal changes from stopping birth control, the heartbreaking loss of my grandmother and a close friend’s mother, and the overall sense of loss during the ongoing pandemic, led me to fall into a deep depression,” Margot said. “I struggled with the ‘why me’ question that consumed me. My mom was worried whether I was ready to return to school and soccer, but honestly, I think that was the one thing that kept me going.”

Eight months after her stroke, Margot returned to soccer and classes full-time. After her initial comeback, NC State Athletics produced a video of Margot’s story, and she won NC State Athletics Comeback Player of the Year Spring of 2021.

“It was the first time I had really spoken about my stroke,” explained Margot. “I never expected that level of support.”

That summer in 2021, while away playing soccer in Spain, Margot first became involved with Tedy’s Team. She completed the Bru’s Comeback Pack Virtual Run Series to celebrate the first anniversary of her stroke and raised over $10,000 to support our mission.

How much her story – and Tedy’s – resonated with others inspired her to apply to run the Boston Marathon in 2023, which she completed with her sister, Kate Ridgeway, while raising over $20,000 for Tedy’s Team.

“Margot’s stroke was shocking but watching her fight her way back and reclaiming her strength has been inspiring to see,” Kylie said. “I was incredibly proud to witness her finish the Boston Marathon with Tedy’s Team, so when she asked me to run the New York City Marathon with her, I said yes without hesitation.”

During COVID and prior to Margot’s stroke, Margot and Kylie bonded over running. It started with an 8-mile run, continued with running their own half marathon, and now they are taking on 26.2 miles in The Big Apple.

“To take on this challenge with Tedy’s Team, alongside Kylie, who stood by me through my stroke recovery, feels like the perfect way to mark the 5^th anniversary of my stroke,” said Margot. “The energy, the crowds, and the meaning behind every mile will make crossing that finish line an unforgettable moment.”

This year’s race has extra meaning for Margot as she is running to celebrate all that she has overcome as a stroke survivor over the last five years.

“To me, this race is about more than just crossing the finish line, it’s about raising awareness for stroke and heart disease, celebrating how far Margot has come, and giving back to an organization that’s had a huge impact on her journey,” Kylie said. “Tedy’s Team empowers stroke and heart disease survivors through coaching, community, and support, with a mission that is all about turning setbacks into comebacks and Margot is living proof of that.”

On November 2^nd, Margot and Kylie will be taking on the streets of New York for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon with their fellow teammates to raise life-saving funds and awareness of stroke and heart disease.

“In June 2020, I never could have imagined what life after a stroke would look like. But in the five years since, thanks to the unwavering support of my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and Tedy’s Team, I’ve been able to chase some of my biggest dreams,” explained Margot. “Now I run to give back and to help Tedy’s Team support other stroke survivors in making their own comebacks, just like they helped me with mine.”

To support their efforts, please visit their personal fundraising pages below.

Margot Ridgeway

Kylie Wise

Please take a moment to learn the warning signs of stroke, which are best remembered by using the acronym BE FAST, which stands for:

• Balance Difficulties
• Eyesight Changes
• Face Drooping
• Arm Weakness
• Speech Difficulties – and if you notice any of those warning signs, it’s…
• TIME TO CALL 9-1-1.

BE FAST is an acronym to help you quickly recognize common signs of a stroke and to take any necessary action by calling for emergency medical services. Other symptoms may include sudden and severe unexplained headache or migraine with no obvious cause, and confusion or trouble understanding things they would normally know.

Back to All Blog Posts