Limbless Rugby Player Inspires Team

HALIFAX TARS, NOVA SCOTIA (CNN) – A rugby player in Canada is defying the odds and inspiring her teammates.  Lindsay Hilton was born without limbs.  But that hasn’t stopped her doing what she wants.
Colleen Jones has her story.

Lindsay Hilton isn’t as tall as her teammates

“Who are we? Tars!”

But she’s every bit as fierce. Lindsay doesn’t think there’s anything special about the fact that she plays one of sports toughest games.

“I try my best.”

She is modest. You won’t find many other quadruple amputees playing rugby anywhere in the world.

(reporter: “You’re from Ireland where rugby’s pretty big.”)

“Yeah.”
(reporter: “Have you ever seen somebody with no limbs…”)

“Nope, never a rugby field.”

Her teammates are inspired by her

“She’s pretty incredible.  She’s got more going on than I do and four less limbs.”

Her just do it attitude came from the time she was born. Her parents Jackie and John are nervously watching from the sidelines.

“I didn’t want her to be treated any differently by anybody, teachers, friends, anybody.  I just wanted her to grow up in the world.”

As scrumhalf for the Halifax Tars she handles the ball a lot.
(reporter: “What adjustments do you have to make?”)

“I don’t really know anything specific, like…”

(reporter: “Because this is all you know.”)
“Exactly.  So it’s hard for me to know what I’m necessarily adjusting to and what is just what you do.”

Opposing teams might have once been afraid to tackle her but not anymore.

“Everybody knows what she can do on the field –”
(reporter: “So she’s legitimately good?”)

“She’s legitimately that good.  She’s very, very — she handles the ball well.”

She started rugby in high school in Halifax and she fell in love with the sport quickly.

“I play rugby because I love the sport.  It’s very social. It’s more of a community than anything so it’s a great time.”

Now she’s not only an asset on the field, but with the executive of the Halifax Tars as well.

“Those days when you’re having a hard day, when things aren’t going right, it’s pretty inspirational.”
“I try my best to do everything the way everybody else does.  And if that inspires people that’s great.  But that’s not what I’m setting out to do.”

And that’s what she’s been doing her whole life.