USA to play in wheelchair rugby Paralympic semifinal | Morning in America

IN THE SEMIFINALS TODAY. ERIC NEWBY IS A 3 TIME PARALYMPIAN ATHLETE AND CO-CAPTAIN OF THE 2020 FOR TEAM USA. WHEELCHAIR RUGBY JOINING ME NOW. GREAT TO SEE YOU. YEAH, THANKS FOR HAVING. OF COURSE THAT WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU THIS MORNING. I KNOW YOU'RE PLAYING IN JUST A FEW HOURS TO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME FOR US. YOU'RE THE CO-CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM. USA. WHEELCHAIR RUGBY TEAM. YOU'RE RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD. YOU'RE HEADING INTO THE PARALYMPICS. >> THIS COMING IN RANKED SO HIGHLY CALM WITH THAT ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO WIN. >> YOU KNOW, I NORMALLY I'D SAY YES, BUT RIGHT NOW EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD. AND IT'S THE RANKINGS, HONESTLY, DON'T EVEN MATTER AT THIS POINT BECAUSE EVERY COUNTRY HAS REALLY STEP THEIR GAME UP AND IS REALLY PICKING UP LAYUP AND WE'VE GOT A GREAT MATCH TONIGHT AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN, VERY FAMILIAR OPPONENT. THEY KNOW US AND WE KNOW THEM AND THE WE'VE GOT TO GET THROUGH THAT GAME. WE'LL SEE WHAT MODEL OF PLANE FOR THE NEXT ERIC. YOU'VE BEEN CDITED WITH LIFTING TEAM USA TO VICTORY OVER CANADA AND THURSDAY'S RUGBY OPENER. WHAT THAT VICTORY MEAN TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM? >> YEAH, IT'S YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WHOLE GROUP OF GREAT PLAYERS, THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE U.S. AND THE WAS DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT. IT'S DEFINITELY A GRIND TO BE ANY OF TEAMS. BUT IT WAS A IT WAS ON ITS A FUN TO BE AT THIS STAGE WITH THIS AMOUNT OF FANS IN THIS AMOUNT OF EXPOSURE FOR OUR SPORT. IT'S GREAT TO REPRESENT THE PARALYMPIC MOVEMENT LIKE THIS. CAN MENTION JUST A FEW HOURS TEAM USA'S WHEELCHAIR RUGBY TEAM IS HEADING THE COURT IN THE PARALYMPICS SEMIFINALS. YOU SAID YOUR OPPONENT, YOU KNOW THEM WELL. THEY KNOW YOU WELL. >> BUT HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING THAT ONE MORE VICTORY? JUST ONE MORE CAN LOCK IN A MEDAL. >> YEAH, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY TRYING THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. WE'RE JUST FOCUSED ON THE GAME, FOLKS FROM GREAT BRITAIN AND OUR GOING TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS THERE IF WE GET IT DOWN, WHEN WE GET IT DONE WILL CELEBRATE. AND THAT COMES AROUND. SO. >> FAIR ENOUGH. EYES ON THE PRIZE. I GET THAT EARLIER THIS MONTH. YOU POSTED ON INSTAGRAM ABOUT BEING HONORED IN YOUR HOMETOWN OF GODFREY, ILLINOIS. I WANT TO SHOW IT TO OUR VIEWERS. >> I WAS INVITED TO MY HOMETOWN IN GODFREY, ILLINOIS TOWN HALL MEETING WHERE THE MAYOR PRESENTED ME WITH A PROCLAMATION CREATING. THERE SO AUGUST 29TH 2024, IS ERIC MAYBE DAY HERE IN GODFREY. >> SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE THE WHOLE TOWN? YOUR COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO HONOR YOU SUPPORT YOU? >> IT'S PRETTY WILD TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE BACK IN MAY. AND THEN WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TO HEAD TO THE AIRPORT TO COME HERE, I A WAS MET MY DRIVEWAY BY THE MAYOR AND POLICE ESCORT TO THE AIRPORT. AND WE DROVE THROUGH TOWN AND EVERY SCHOOL IS OUTSIDE, WAVING GOODBYE AND WISHING US LUCK. AND IT'S A IT'S INCREDIBLE WAS INCREDIBLE. HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE BEHIND US NOT MUCH SUPPORT AT HOME AND COOL TO PLAY FOR THAT MANY PEOPLE AND THAT GREAT OF A COMMUNITY. >> MY TEAM I WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR STORY. YOU SHARED IT THE NIGHT THAT WE SHARE THE STORY OF THE NIGHT. YOU'RE PARALYZED AND YOU WROTE, I REMEMBER IT VIVIDLY LAYING ON A STRETCHER IN A CORNFIELD TELLING MY MOM I WAS PARALYZED BY SECOND TO LAST WEEK OF REHAB. I TOOK A DAY TRIP TO WATCH A WHEELCHAIR RUGBY CLINIC AND FINALLY GOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO TRY OUT A CHAIR AND I WAS HOOKED AND QUOTE. STORY IS SO INCREDIBLE TO ME. AND I KNOW MY TEAM AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING, LOOKING BACK ON EVERYTHING YOU OVER COMMON, WHAT AN INSPIRATION YOU ARE TO SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO COMPREHEND OR IS IT DIFFICULT THAT YOU'RE NOW HERE REPRESENTING OUR NATION REPRESENTING TEAM USA? >> YEAH. I MEAN, TO MAKE IT TO THIS LEVEL TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK IN A LOT OF DEDICATION AND EVERYBODY ON OUR TEAM HAS A VERY SIMILAR WE'VE ALL WE'VE ALL HAD OUR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE, BUT WE WILL TURN IT AROUND THE SUCCESS STORIES AND YEAH, I IT'S INCREDIBLY AWESOME LOOK BACK AT THE HARD WORK I PUT IN AND THE DEDICATION I PUT FOR ALL PAY OFF LIKE THIS. AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S ALL. LOOK, IT'S ALL IT'S ALL GREAT TO COME TOGETHER BE ABLE TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY LIKE THIS. IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT. IT'S A LOT OF LOCKING A LOT OF GREAT, BUT A LOT OF TALENT FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM AS WELL. YOU RECENTLY SAID THAT THE 2020 PARALYMPICS IN AND FEEL THE SAME DUE TO THE LACK OF CROWDS. >> WHAT'S IT LIKE HAVING YOUR FAMILY THERE WITH YOU IN PARIS TO CHEER YOU ON TO VICTORY AND THERE'S SO MANY MORE EYEBALLS ON THE PARALYMPICS THIS YEAR. I FEEL. YEAH, IT'S INCREDIBLE. I WAS PART OF THE RIO GAMES AND THE CROWD WAS ELECTRIC. THERE WAS A IT WAS WILD TO HEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE TURN FOR US. WE COULDN'T EVEN HEAR EACH OTHER. >> ALL OF JUST BUZZING. AND WE WENT TO TOKYO AND IT WAS PRETTY FLAT. IT WAS THE WAS NO CROWD. NO, NOTHING. AND SO TO GET BACK IN OUR FANS BACK OF OUR FAMILIES BACK IN THE CROWD. IT'S A IT'S A REALLY SPECL FEELING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK UP IN THE CROWD AND SEE MY 4 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER