PROFILE IN COURAGE

I'm not going to lie, the film caught me off guard. I didn't even know that wheelchair rugby was possible, much less that it actually exists and has been played at a highly competitive, international level for many years. After facing whatever accident caused each athlete's quadriplegia, the gruesome 2+ year rehabilitation that was to follow, and the mental and social challenges that coincide with having to relearn even the most basic tasks, it is astounding that they still have the courage to not only conquer that adversity, but also to retain the competitiveness and the "fire" to go out and play an intense sport. If anything, based on the interviews in the introduction of the movie, the athletes seemed to be mentally, if not physically tougher than they were before. THAT is courage. Taking on a life threatening--and way-of-life ending--injury like a broken neck/back and not only overcoming it, but actually getting stronger from it, requires "something" that not everybody has.