Achieving a dream with a wheelchair and a basketball

Video: Jewish athlete Marc de Hond is representing Holland in the European wheelchair basketball championship being held in Israel.

By BENJAMIN SPIER
marc (photo credit: Benjamin Spier)
marc
(photo credit: Benjamin Spier)
When Marc de Hond was semi-paralyzed eight years ago, he didn’t use his new condition as an excuse to stop playing soccer and no longer stay in shape, but rather pushed himself harder and further in wheelchair basketball.
In 2003, de Hond's doctors told him that they had found a benign tumor on his spine. He was rushed to surgery and the tumor was successfully removed, but post-op complications lead to de Hond losing use of his legs.
Four years after taking up basketball, the Jewish athlete is playing with the Dutch national team, representing his country at the European wheelchair basketball championship being held this year in Israel.
De Hond’s dream is for his team to qualify for the Paralympics, and they will have to beat Turkey on Friday to make it into the international competition.