‘It’s literally our legs’: Athletes call for change after airline damaged wheelchairs
Sierra Nicole Krug
[{'start': '0.160', 'end': '4.560', 'text': 'Top athletes from all across the country'}, {'start': '2.720', 'end': '6.600', 'text': 'are traveling to our community for the'}, {'start': '4.560', 'end': '8.800', 'text': 'National Wheelchair Basketball'}, {'start': '6.600', 'end': '10.800', 'text': "Championships. You're watching 8 News at"}, {'start': '8.800', 'end': '12.400', 'text': "6. I'm Heather Hope. I'm Eric Phillips."}, {'start': '10.800', 'end': '14.559', 'text': 'For some of those players, the road to'}, {'start': '12.400', 'end': '16.400', 'text': 'victory met with challenges even before'}, {'start': '14.559', 'end': '18.960', 'text': 'a tip off. Tonight, 8 News reporter'}, {'start': '16.400', 'end': '22.600', 'text': 'Sierra Krug joins us with that story.'}, {'start': '18.960', 'end': '22.600', 'text': 'Sierra, good evening.'}, {'start': '23.119', 'end': '27.680', 'text': "Good evening, Eric. Heather, I'm told"}, {'start': '24.880', 'end': '29.679', 'text': 'airport and event organizers have been'}, {'start': '27.680', 'end': '31.679', 'text': 'preparing for this massive event for'}, {'start': '29.679', 'end': '33.760', 'text': 'almost a year. But when some teams'}, {'start': '31.679', 'end': '35.440', 'text': 'touched down here in central Virginia,'}, {'start': '33.760', 'end': '37.520', 'text': 'they say their wheelchairs, which they'}, {'start': '35.440', 'end': '39.680', 'text': 'consider a part of their body, not just'}, {'start': '37.520', 'end': '41.840', 'text': 'property, were damaged. They say more'}, {'start': '39.680', 'end': '44.559', 'text': 'than anything they feel disrespected by'}, {'start': '41.840', 'end': '46.079', 'text': 'the airline.'}, {'start': '44.559', 'end': '47.680', 'text': 'Imagine somebody took something away'}, {'start': '46.079', 'end': '51.120', 'text': 'from you and you were just stuck sitting'}, {'start': '47.680', 'end': '52.719', 'text': 'there until they decided to come back.'}, {'start': '51.120', 'end': '54.239', 'text': "That's what Miranda Shield says happened"}, {'start': '52.719', 'end': '55.920', 'text': 'to her and other wheelchair basketball'}, {'start': '54.239', 'end': '57.760', 'text': 'players after their flight landed in'}, {'start': '55.920', 'end': '59.719', 'text': 'Richmond Wednesday night. They treat it'}, {'start': '57.760', 'end': '62.079', 'text': "like it's luggage and it's not"}, {'start': '59.719', 'end': '64.159', 'text': "luggage. It's a part of our body. Hours"}, {'start': '62.079', 'end': '65.479', 'text': 'and hours of practice culminating in the'}, {'start': '64.159', 'end': '67.600', 'text': 'National Wheelchair basketball'}, {'start': '65.479', 'end': '69.119', 'text': "championships and Reicho County's new"}, {'start': '67.600', 'end': '71.200', 'text': 'sports and Event Center putting out the'}, {'start': '69.119', 'end': '73.040', 'text': 'red carpet for the best of the best in'}, {'start': '71.200', 'end': '75.360', 'text': 'wheelchair basketball. Teams like the'}, {'start': '73.040', 'end': '77.520', 'text': 'Ability 360 wheelchair Phoenix Suns had'}, {'start': '75.360', 'end': '79.759', 'text': 'their heads in the game and eyes on the'}, {'start': '77.520', 'end': '81.439', 'text': 'prize. But before they could hit the'}, {'start': '79.759', 'end': '83.759', 'text': 'courts, Shields, their social media'}, {'start': '81.439', 'end': '86.240', 'text': 'manager, took this video calling for'}, {'start': '83.759', 'end': '87.920', 'text': 'change. And when we got off the plane,'}, {'start': '86.240', 'end': '90.320', 'text': "they had messed everybody's wheelchairs"}, {'start': '87.920', 'end': '92.400', 'text': 'up. Wheelchairs broken, damaged, the'}, {'start': '90.320', 'end': '94.240', 'text': 'wheels removed against instruction,'}, {'start': '92.400', 'end': '95.600', 'text': 'leaving athletes stranded on the plane.'}, {'start': '94.240', 'end': '97.200', 'text': 'While family members tried to get the'}, {'start': '95.600', 'end': '99.040', 'text': 'proper parts back to the athletes so'}, {'start': '97.200', 'end': '100.640', 'text': 'they could exit the ramp, the team tells'}, {'start': '99.040', 'end': '103.040', 'text': 'us Southwest Airlines called the police'}, {'start': '100.640', 'end': '104.880', 'text': 'on them for quote violating protocol.'}, {'start': '103.040', 'end': '107.119', 'text': 'Player Justin Walker says this type of'}, {'start': '104.880', 'end': '109.920', 'text': "mistreatment shouldn't be happening in"}, {'start': '107.119', 'end': '112.479', 'text': "2024. With these devices, it's our"}, {'start': '109.920', 'end': '115.840', 'text': "second life. It's it's it's giving us"}, {'start': '112.479', 'end': '118.159', 'text': 'our freedom. If you take that away,'}, {'start': '115.840', 'end': '119.680', 'text': "we're basically animals at that point."}, {'start': '118.159', 'end': '121.439', 'text': 'He shields tells us the pilot and what'}, {'start': '119.680', 'end': '124.000', 'text': 'the flight attendants tried to help, but'}, {'start': '121.439', 'end': '125.840', 'text': 'for the most part, they felt blamed and'}, {'start': '124.000', 'end': '129.360', 'text': 'alone. I mean, we already feel like'}, {'start': '125.840', 'end': '133.360', 'text': "we're an inconvenience um as it is. Um"}, {'start': '129.360', 'end': '134.720', 'text': 'and then to be put in a situation'}, {'start': '133.360', 'end': '137.599', 'text': "to make you feel like you're not a"}, {'start': '134.720', 'end': '139.200', 'text': 'person kind of kind of hurts. In a'}, {'start': '137.599', 'end': '140.879', 'text': 'statement, Southwest Airlines admitted'}, {'start': '139.200', 'end': '142.800', 'text': 'these travelers may have had quote some'}, {'start': '140.879', 'end': '144.480', 'text': 'delays, but they denied any allegations'}, {'start': '142.800', 'end': '145.680', 'text': 'of damaged wheelchairs. They said'}, {'start': '144.480', 'end': '147.760', 'text': "they've reached out to appropriate"}, {'start': '145.680', 'end': '149.520', 'text': "parties, but according to Walker's team,"}, {'start': '147.760', 'end': '152.319', 'text': 'the airline has not responded to any of'}, {'start': '149.520', 'end': '154.560', 'text': 'their calls or emails. In the meantime,'}, {'start': '152.319', 'end': '157.120', 'text': "they're shifting their focus, doing what"}, {'start': '154.560', 'end': '158.879', 'text': 'they came to do, turning off our brains'}, {'start': '157.120', 'end': '159.959', 'text': 'and be able to play basketball for an'}, {'start': '158.879', 'end': '162.959', 'text': 'hour.'}, {'start': '159.959', 'end': '164.959', 'text': 'um and not remember how we were treated'}, {'start': '162.959', 'end': '166.400', 'text': 'the last 24 hours. It was huge. Event'}, {'start': '164.959', 'end': '167.599', 'text': 'hosts tell us they along with the'}, {'start': '166.400', 'end': '169.760', 'text': 'airport have been training for how to'}, {'start': '167.599', 'end': '171.760', 'text': 'prepare for more than 6 months. But'}, {'start': '169.760', 'end': '173.840', 'text': 'Walker says it starts with airlines'}, {'start': '171.760', 'end': '175.800', 'text': 'better understanding the needs of all of'}, {'start': '173.840', 'end': '178.800', 'text': "their passengers. Don't mean anything to"}, {'start': '175.800', 'end': '180.879', 'text': 'me cuz I I I we asked them just to'}, {'start': '178.800', 'end': '183.519', 'text': "listen to us. You don't need training"}, {'start': '180.879', 'end': '186.519', 'text': 'for that. Something actually has to'}, {'start': '183.519', 'end': '186.519', 'text': 'change.'}, {'start': '188.319', 'end': '191.840', 'text': 'Shields and Walker won their first game'}, {'start': '190.239', 'end': '193.280', 'text': 'this morning and teams will continue'}, {'start': '191.840', 'end': '195.360', 'text': 'battling it out for the rest of the'}, {'start': '193.280', 'end': '197.599', 'text': 'weekend with that final game happening'}, {'start': '195.360', 'end': '201.120', 'text': 'Sunday at 2 p.m. Live in Henriiko'}, {'start': '197.599', 'end': '201.120', 'text': 'County, Sierra Krug, Anos.'}]