Over the weekend, amputees in Portland, Oregon, had the opportunity to participate in a free soccer clinic specifically for amputees and those with limb differences. Nick Krupke covered the first-time event for Fox 12 Oregon.
Organizer Thuy Williams has worked with amputee soccer players around the world and has heard just how much the game has impacted community members’ lives. “The stories of some of the veterans who have lost limbs in service with tears in their eyes and they’re talking about how when they lost their limb,” Williams shared. “They thought they lost soccer forever and then they found amputee soccer and how it saved their lives. I was just like, we need this in Portland.”
The McDaniel High School boys soccer team tried the game on crutches and through the experience gained an appreciation for what they have. “They are so grateful for, and to be able to see the other side of the game and what life might be like in somebody else’s shoes,” head coach Ugo Uche said.
Participants of all ages enjoyed getting to participate in the exhilarating sport. “To get your foot on that ball again? And whap it into the goal? On crutches? I think you almost feel better than on two legs because you are trying harder,” said Dee Malchow who has played the game since 1983.