RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond's Sportable wheelchair lacrosse team is heading to the national championship for the first time in six years, led by players whose competitive spirit helps them overcome life's biggest challenges.
Chase, one of the team's key players, once lived for the crack of a hockey stick and the rush of the game. His skill earned him the chance to play at the competitive level in college at U Mass.
"It was the highlight of my life. I love hockey," Chase said.
But those dreams were suddenly sidelined when Chase suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a random accident that changed his life forever.
"I remember waking up in ICU, realizing I was paralyzed," Chase said.
The days and months that followed were uncertain. Chase spent nearly a year in physical therapy, relearning tasks he once didn't think twice about. The mental challenges proved just as difficult as the physical ones.
"I suffered severe depression and anxiety after my injury," Chase said. "Sports was my life."
Just when Chase thought his athletic ambitions were over, he discovered a sport designed to give athletes another chance. He joined Sportable's wheelchair lacrosse team, where athletes of every age are discovering a new sport and a new way to maintain their competitive edge.
"Contact sport, that's exactly what I love. It's speed. It's fast," Chase said.
The team maintains the same competitive drive that defined their previous athletic careers.
"We are very competitive still. We are very good at what we do, and we still want to go as far and be the best that we can be," Chase said.
This weekend, that dedication will pay off when the group competes at the National Championship in Pittsburgh for the first time in six years.
The team's coach praised the players' commitment to improvement and their coachable attitudes.
"Well, they all very coachable, and they all want to learn," the coach said. "So they treat them just like anybody else. They all want to get and do better."
The team's competitive nature and tough coaching approach will hopefully push them to the top of the national competition.
For Chase, the wheelchair doesn't define his identity or limit his potential.
"The chair really does not define who you are," Chase said. "It's what I love, and I'm not gonna let one piece of metal stop me from doing that."
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