Team USA Makes History in Thrilling Wheelchair Rugby Victory
In a groundbreaking moment for adaptive sports, Team USA secured a nail-biting 51-48 victory over Canada in the Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Group Stage. This win wasn’t just a triumph on the scoreboard—it marked a significant milestone in the sport’s history.
Breaking Barriers
For the first time ever, the United States Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby team included a female athlete. Sarah Adam, a professor of occupational therapy at St. Louis University, didn’t just make the team—she made her presence felt on the court.
Adam’s Paralympic debut was nothing short of impressive, contributing six tries in just over 16 minutes of play. Her journey to this moment began in 2022 when she first qualified for the national team, followed by a gold medal win at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago.
“It’s just a really exciting time right now for women in sports,” Adam reflected. “For other females to see that, if this is where you want to play, go do it. Step outside that comfort zone and do it anyway.”
Team USA Captain Eric Newby echoed the sentiment: “It opens doors for women in sports. I think it’s a very powerful thing to get behind and I support anybody that gets behind the women power movement.”
A Game of Inches
The match against Canada was a see-saw battle from the start. The lead changed hands multiple times in the early going, with Canada initially ahead 4-3. However, strong performances from Adam, four-time Paralympian Chuck Aoki, and three-time Paralympian Josh Wheeler gave the Americans a slim two-point edge.
The intensity ramped up in the second quarter. Team USA extended their lead to 22-18 before Canada staged a comeback. Four-time Paralympian Zachary Madell spearheaded a 5-1 run for Canada, tying the game at 23. The half ended with the USA clinging to a narrow 25-24 lead.
Turning Point
The third quarter continued the back-and-forth trend until Wheeler and Aoki scored consecutive tries, giving the Americans some breathing room. Jeff Butler’s buzzer-beater to end the quarter pushed the lead to 37-34, a margin that proved crucial.
“We got a little frantic there midway through, probably second quarter, third quarter,” Aoki admitted. “It got away from us a little bit, but we settled down, trusted our process and ended up with a healthy enough margin.”
Sealing the Deal
The three-try cushion was enough to keep Canada at bay in the final quarter. Despite trading scores throughout the frame, Canada never managed to close the gap to less than two tries. The Americans held on for the 51-48 victory, starting their group stage campaign with a perfect 1-0 record.
Aoki, who contributed an impressive 21 tries, summed up the team’s performance: “Canada’s a really strong side, and we knew they were gonna bring everything today. So I feel great about it. Feel really good about how the team played.”
Adam reflected on the team’s resilience: “We had a little bit of a hiccup there in the second quarter. For us to clean that up and trust the plan and trust each other, I’m really proud of that.”
Looking Ahead
While celebrating this historic win, Team USA is already focused on the challenges ahead. Newby emphasized the team’s ultimate goal: “A lot of us have a bunch of silver medals at home. We’re all searching for gold. This game was great, but we definitely had a couple of mishaps, and we’re going to go in the locker room, we’re going to talk about it, we’re going to clean it up, we’re going to have each other’s backs, and we’re going to come out on fire for the next game.”