By Benjamin Hyams

Conor Tweedy, a young athlete disabled in a scrum collapse during a rugby game two years ago, has found a new game.

Never letting adversity get him down, he almost instantly found new outlet for his athletic spirit and a new passion: wheelchair rugby.

Conor Tweedy was in his 11th year of high school and attending St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace when his accident occurred.

Although his initial recovery in terms of his ability to walk was slow, Conor wanted to get back out onto the field in some way.

That’s when he was introduced to wheelchair rugby.

“I started playing wheelchair rugby probably six weeks after my injury,” he said.

Almost as soon as he got a taste for it, Conor was hooked. The difference in play appealed to his athletic nature and he was keen to try and master the sport, but he likes the challenge.

“It’s been about two years now, it’s a bit of a steep learning curve, it’s like playing water polo and not knowing how to swim,” he said.

He plays every week at his local PCYC.

Although it doesn’t look much like the rugby most people know, when the chairs collide, the sounds of metal on metal echoes all though-out the gym, sounding just as violent as a normal game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99U7jBjwGns&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=BenHyams

As well as playing wheelchair rugby, Conor has also been coaching at his old high school.

He coaches the 14 B’s rugby team, still trying every way he can to get involved, never sitting still for a moment.

“I’ve always been pretty interested in coaching rugby, I did it actually when I was 14… I’ve always wanted to do it at terrace,” he said.

Since his accident, Conor has let nothing stop him.

He graduated from “Terrace” with good grades, attended his semi and his formal and even managed to head down to the Gold Coast for schoolies.

All the while has has had the support of his friends and family, with him every step of the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hpKOpIKDEw&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=BenHyams