Wheelchair rugby has 'given me another chance'
Wheelchair rugby is 'another chance' at sport for Conor Connolly
- Published
It is the clatter of chair-on-chair tackles that hits you as you walk into the sports hall in Lisburn.
Men and women speed up and down the hall, hurling about 15kg of metal straight into each other.
This is wheelchair rugby - it is fast, intense and very loud.
Three of Ireland's wheelchair rugby squad - Conor Connolly, Chris Meneilly and Alan Patterson - do some of their training with the Ulster Barbarians.
They are preparing for the European Championship Division C competition in Norway with the hope of gaining promotion to Division B.
'Sport is my life again'
For 33-year-old Conor Connolly from Castlederg, County Tyrone, it will be his debut international appearance.
A car crash left him with a spinal cord injury seven years ago.
Previously a keen soccer and Gaelic footballer, it took him several years to build up the strength and confidence to get back into competitive sports.
"I didn't get to finish football the way I wanted to," he said.
"It gives me another chance to push for something, a goal to reach the top.
"Sport was my life before and it is 100% my life now again."
Mr Connolly has dedicated himself to a sport he discovered two years ago.
Every other weekend he, along with his teammates, travel to Dublin and train with the Ireland squad from Friday to Sunday.
The rest of the week is spent on the road travelling to daily fitness and strength training sessions.
"I am a sore loser, I always will be. I want to win," he added.
Born with cerebral palsy, it is this inclusivity that attracted Belfast man Chris Meneilly to the sport
Wheelchair rugby is both a mixed gender and mixed ability sport., external
Each athlete on a team is given a classification on how their impairment affects fundamental skills like manoeuvring, passing and blocking.
It is this inclusivity that attracted Belfast man Chris Meneilly to the sport.
Born with cerebral palsy, he had tried other sports like table tennis and basketball but for him wheelchair rugby was a natural fit.
He said what he lacks in co-ordination he makes up for in speed and strength.
"The rugby gives you the most contact, the most adrenaline. Table tennis is great but there is no real adrenaline rush off it!"
Chris is considered one of the top players in the Irish squad and has been playing with the team since 2018.
He said the standard of training at international level is incredibly high.
"When I first started for the Ireland squad I used to get knocked into next week constantly. I've got better at taking the hits."
His experience, he said, has taught him how to mitigate the damage done when an opposing team member careens into you.
'Not a disability sport, it's sport'
Alan said returning to sport has helped him cope with a traumatic injury
Originally from Killygordon in County Donegal, Alan Patterson now lives in Lisburn.
In 2016 he broke his neck in a trampoline accident. He was 26 years old.
Alan had played hockey prior to his accident. He said returning to sport has helped him cope with his traumatic spinal injury.
"There's that perception that life is over for them. However, that's what sports does for you, it makes you forget about it.
"Everybody is equal. There is no disability here. We are playing sport, lads, that's it. It's not a disability sport, it's sport," he added.