Photo By EJ Hersom | New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, right, and Emmy award winning dancer and...... read more read more
ORLANDO, Fla., May 12, 2016 — Celebrities played alongside adaptive sports athletes during a wheelchair rugby exhibition match held in association with the 2016 Invictus Games yesterday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World here.
Both teams worked the ball down the court with quick passes, as the fans cheered and the coaches – wrestling star John Cena and actor Wilmer Valderrama -- motivated the players and crowd. Singer Laura Wright scored the first goal of the night for team Jaguar, and the Land Rover team quickly answered. It remained a tight game until the Jaguar team scored the final goal on the way to a 12-9 victory.
Other celebrities involved in the event were New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker and his wife, singer Jessie James Decker; dancer and actor Derek Hough and Olympic gold-medal gymnast Shawn Johnson.
Learning the Game
Medically retired Army Sgt. Monica “Mo” Southall played rugby for the first time during the Invictus Games in London in 2014 with the U.S. team, where they earned a silver medal. The rest of the team learned on the fly a few hours before the game.
“I’m super proud because we’ve only played for a few hours and learned the rules today, so to see them play so smoothly and be so smart out there made me super proud,” Jaguar team coach Valderrama said. “They put in quite a lot of work. I’m very proud today.”
Cena said he is proud of his Land Rover team as well. “It was very fast pace and intense; these people are competitors,” he said. “Being the first time around this sport, it just is a wonderful experience.”
Valderrama said Southall was an essential part of his team.
“She played with heart, and that’s contagious to see her play like that,” he said. “She was so calm, but so fun. She was a great energy and the the mojo we needed on the team.”
Favorite Moments
Southall said she really enjoyed playing with the celebrities. “They were really down to earth, and so nice and friendly,” she said. “We played as a team. It was amazing how we were able to pull it all together, just meeting each other for the first time. Eric Decker, he’s a natural at the game of rugby. He’s very good. It was just an amazing experience.”
She said her favorite moments were when she received passes from the celebrities.
“I received one pass from Eric Decker that after the game I asked him, ‘Did you ever think about being a quarterback instead of being a wide receiver?’ because he really threw that pass in there hard,” she said. “That was my favorite moment of the night. Shawn Johnson passed me one; Laura passed me one too. So anybody who was a celebrity and passed me the ball, I was excited.”
Giving Thanks
Valderrama said the event and the Invictus Games were special to him because he’s participated in USO tours overseas and has seen the sacrifices military men and women have made.
“To me, that’s something to respect and celebrate,” he said. “These athletes here are an example of why you should never give up. These people here are so strong. It’s an honor to be here.”
Cena said the Invictus Games are important. “They prove that no matter what you’re set up against, if you have the desire to compete, you just need the forum to do so,” he added, “and that’s why I’m very grateful for the Invictus Games and that’s why these games are so important.”
The WWE superstar, actor and reality television show host also said he continues to support the military because he didn’t get to serve his country.
“It’s my way of showing my support, and it’s my way of doing my best to send what I think is a very important message,” he said. “This is something the world needs to know about, and we just need to raise awareness on what they’re doing here, because after talking with competitors and the competitors’ families, the meaning of the games and what it means to the people who get to take the court and the people supporting the people who take the court, it’s really good stuff going on here. The games are only going to get bigger every year.”
(Follow Shannon Collins on Twitter @CollinsDoDNews)
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2016 00:20 |
| Story ID: | 197989 |
| Location: | ORLANDO, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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