From Winnipeg to Worldwide: Wheelchair Rugby and Canada’s Disability History with Jessica Kruger

In this episode of the History in 60 Companion Podcast, host John Loeppky explores the Canadian origins and global rise of wheelchair rugby, one of the most intense and strategic sports on four wheels. John sits down with elite athlete Jessica Kruger to talk about how the sport builds community, accelerates independence after injury, and reshapes what people assume is possible for athletes on and off the court. They also dig into the sport’s evolving gender landscape, why a national women’s program matters, and what it means to help build the next era of wheelchair rugby in Canada. Watch the full episode on AMI+ Find the Video Podcast on YouTube GUEST BIO Jessica Kruger is an elite Canadian wheelchair rugby athlete based in British Columbia. After a spinal cord injury at age 15, she found wheelchair rugby through rehabilitation and has spent the past 18 years competing and building sport community, most notably with Team BC and through national women’s development opportunities, including international competition. Beyond sport, Jessica is also an entrepreneur and disability advocate. She founded a custom dessert business called The Stubborn Baker and shares practical, real-world reflections on disability, travel, and accessibility through her social platforms, helping others see what’s possible, even when the world says “you can’t.” SHOW NOTES The History in 60 Podcast is the official companion to the television series History in 60 on AMI Television. While the series highlights key moments in Canada’s disability history, this podcast creates space to go deeper and explore the conversations shaping disability culture and public life today. Hosted by John Loeppky, each episode connects the history we see on screen with the people thinking, writing, and working in these areas right now. In this episode, we turn to rugby and resilience and the Canadian origins and global rise of wheelchair rugby. When you first see eight athletes in wheelchairs smashing into each other on a gym floor, it can be hard to imagine this sport began as a grassroots game built by quadriplegic athletes who wanted something of their own. Wheelchair rugby was born in Manitoba in the 1970s, and what started as “murderball” grew into one of the most exciting sports in the Paralympic Games, now played in dozens of countries around the world. John sits down with Jessica Kruger, an elite athlete with Team BC and a key voice in the evolving national women’s pathway, for an extended conversation about what wheelchair rugby gives athletes beyond the scoreboard. Jessica reflects on how sport can fast-track independence after injury (travel, transfers, driving, self-belief), how the culture of the game pushes athletes to problem-solve, and why visibility matters when you’re trying to imagine your own future as a disabled person. They explore how wheelchair rugby is evolving around gender: from being one of only a handful of women in the sport nationally, to a moment where Canada can realistically develop a women’s team, while still maintaining a co-ed high-performance pathway. Jessica shares what it meant to travel internationally with Canada’s women’s development team, why those opportunities matter at the grassroots level, and what she hopes the next five years will bring for both the women’s game and the broader national program. Referenced in this Episode:G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre (Vancouver Coastal Health)Wheelchair Rugby Canada To learn more about Jessica’s work:The Stubborn Baker (Instagram)This Stubborn Life (TikTok) Credits: Jessica Kruger, Guest John Loeppky, Host  Brent Kawchuk, Co-Producer Cali James, Metamorphosis Media Group, Co-Producer & Narrator  Podcast Studio Camera: Daylen Hartz & Kody Ng Kade Stevens, KS Media, Editor If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the History in 60 Companion Podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who might appreciate the conversation. Your support helps more people discover these stories and the history behind them. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services: AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English, plus AMI-télé in French, along with the AMI+ streaming platform. Our vision is to position AMI as a leader in accessible content by amplifying the voices of Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, meaningful representation, and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca & AMItele.ca Watch full episodes of your favourite AMI-tv documentaries & series on AMI+ Connect with AMI Online: Instagram @AccessibleMediaINC Facebook @AccessibleMediaInc TikTok @AccessibleMedia X / Twitter @AccessibleMedia Email [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.