ROCHELLE — After a friend spent three months trying to talk him into trying it, Nolan Turner of Rochelle finally agreed to try wheelchair rugby about a year ago.
“I finally gave in and gave it a shot,” Turner said. “As soon as I tried it, I instantly fell in love with it."
In August 2021, Turner suffered a C5/C6 incomplete spinal cord injury in a car accident. The injury left him essentially paralyzed from the neck down. He is confined to a wheelchair and has limited feeling in and use of his upper body.
Turner has spent the past year practicing and competing in rugby after he was convinced by that friend, who he met in a rehab hospital. He practices two times a week in Chicago and has competed in tournaments throughout the midwest, most recently in Louisville, Kentucky.
Turner played sports when he was younger, but had no previous experience with rugby until he started playing a year ago. Along with growing to enjoy the sport, participating also meant spending time with people who have had similar life experiences. Games and tournaments are often accompanied by trips out to dinner with the team.
Along with playing sports in his younger years, Turner has always enjoyed being physical and working with his hands.
"For me, it was eye opening,” Turner said. “When I got hurt, obviously I lost all that ability. It was kind of tough on me for a while because I didn't have that physical ability I used to have and love doing. When I started to play rugby, it brought back the memories of being able to be physical and going out there and actually being able to work with my body and be competitive."
Turner said playing rugby has helped with his recovery “in a big way.” Just before he started playing, he had just transferred from a power wheelchair to a manual wheelchair. Turner believes his strength has increased around 100 percent since that time, which has helped with day-to-day living.
“Being outside with my family and friends before that, they'd have to push me through parking lots,” Turner said. “I'd be in Menards with my brother and could only go about five minutes before I was tired. And now I'm independently driving. I can go to stores on my own. I don't get fatigued. My strength has just increased big time.”
Turner found how physically-demanding the game of rugby can be after he started playing it.
“It's trying to push at a high rate of speed throughout the whole game and on top of that, it's physical,” Turner said. “Having guys just run into you in their chairs. Sometimes you flip over and end up on the ground. You try to brace yourself for a fall, but there's no way to do that with just your two hands."
Off the court, Turner’s rugby schedule can be demanding as well. On top of driving an hour into Chicago two times per week for practice, he’s traveled to tournaments in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in Pittsburgh, in Columbus, Ohio and in Kentucky. The travel can be taxing and expensive, but in the end, it’s worth it, Turner said.
To aid in continuing his rugby passion, Turner recently received a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation for a rugby chair of his own. The Kelly Brush Foundation provides funding, resources, and experiences to people with spinal cord injuries, helping them find ways to engage or reengage with sport. Rugby chairs come at a $10,000 cost.
“It will help me tremendously,” Turner said. “Because right now I'm using a club chair. The only time I can get in it now is when I'm at the practices. Now that I'm going to be able to get my own chair through the grant, I'll be able to get in it at home and work out in it and push myself more. And obviously I'll be able to attend some camps and stuff that I wouldn't be able to in my club chair."
Turner’s rugby aspirations include trying to make the USA Wheelchair Rugby team in the future. Last year, he attended the nationals held in Rockford.
“After watching that, I pretty much decided that it was something I wanted to pursue,” Turner said. “I wanted to play at a higher level. I was recently invited to be on the USA developmental squad. That means I'm invited to go to their camps and then from there, they have a selection team every year where they take 16 athletes onto their USA squad, and between those 16 athletes, you're fighting for a spot on the team and they take 12."
Turner had a tougher time dealing with his injury before he found rugby. The people he plays with give him motivation in recovery, along with tips on how to live everyday life such as opening doors and putting on clothes.
“It kind of showed me that there's more to life than just being in a chair,” Turner said. “I can still get out and do things. A lot of these guys I play with have families. Being hurt, that was one thing I was kind of wondering about, whether I'd be able to have a family. Going out and being around all of those guys that are in the same situation I was in and seeing them live normal, happy, successful lives, that gives you motivation. You can still live life despite the 'disability.' You're around guys that have been doing it for 15-20 years and they're all super down to Earth and willing to help anybody and everybody. I'm extremely glad I got involved."
