Wheelchair Rugby: The rush of the roar

Suffering a spinal cord injury (SCI) can be especially devastating to athletes. A spinal cord injury (SCI) creates the common misconception that participating in sports will never again be an option after adjusting to your new lifestyle. However, modern-day equipment makes it possible for those overcoming a spinal cord injury (SCI) to once again feel the adrenaline rush that infuses you on game day and experience the thrill of hearing the crowd roar during a game-winning moment.

Due to the added stress of living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), depression is more likely than that of the average population. Wheelchair rugby, nicknamed murderball, for the game’s violent and aggressive nature, is just one way to prove life exists for any athlete after a spinal cord injury (SCI).

A murderball team is comprised of up to 12 players. Doctors, physiotherapists and other medical professionals evaluate each player to determine ability. A personal classification between a half and three-and-a-half points is determined during each evaluation. Players with the most ability to play receive a three-and-a-half point classification. A team must field four players at a time whose classification points totaled don’t exceed eight. This helps ensure everyone has the opportunity to play.

After a diving accident that left him paralyzed in his teenage years, Dean Maccabe, Experea Healthcare’s Director of Rehab and Accessibility, found excitement in the game of wheelchair rugby. The 2005 sports documentary, “Murderball,” provides a further look into the world of wheelchair rugby as told by spinal cord injury (SCI) patients that overcome unimaginable obstacles. Dean makes several appearances in the film as a player in the 2004 Paralympics for Team USA.

Years after winning gold, Dean shares that wheelchair rugby offered him a second chance as an athlete, explaining that, “Everybody’s dealt certain cards in life, and you just have to play those cards, and make the best of it… easy as that.”

Watch Dean’s Story.

Live in Southern California? Learn about summer sports opportunities hosted by The 25th Annual Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp.

By: Tanza Loudenback
Experea Healthcare Blog Editor