Murderball

So last night I watched this documentary called Murderball. It's about the US Quad Rugby team.

Before I go any further, let's get one thing straight. Being a quadriplegic does not necessarily mean one is completely paralyzed, like Christopher Reeve. Most quads still have a large degree of mobility in their upper body and can close their hands; some even have feeling or sensation all over their bodies - these are incomplete quads.

The men who play quad rugby retain this kind of mobility. And there are others, women included, who participate in all kinds of sports despite the fact that they're disabled. They are more than capable of taking care of themselves and being productive members of society. In many cases, they are far better people than the able bodied.

This documentary covers a period of about two years, and ends with the US competition for gold at the Paralympics in Athens, Greece in 2004. The Paralympics are international, just like the Olympics, and the disabled athletes use the same arenas, tracks and, in some cases, equipment as the able bodied.

I won't say this movie was inspiring, because I think that would be insulting to these men; that's not what they're about. Sure they suffered horrific accidents and will never walk again, but their ability to overcome that is remarkable. In most cases, they say their lives now are more full and exciting than their lives when they were able bodied.

See it. At times it's funny. At times it's frustrating. But it never makes you pity them. They wouldn't want that anyway.