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A few months ago, Steve Bloomfield came to Liberia and he wrote an article for the Observer on the amputee football team and I took photos for the story. Also, stay tuned here for more about Steve’s new book, Africa United.
Before they play, they pray. A dozen men, all missing a limb, lean on crutches and bow their heads. Shouts from a nearby football match and the sound of cars passing on the road beside us fill the air. The coach mutters an “amen” and the men lift their heads and begin warming-up. They move on their crutches with grace, dribbling around cones at pace, using the inside and outside of the foot.
4 Comments
Those are some seriously inspiring photos! Especially the last one!!! And I moan about taking brisk walks (with two legs!)
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I saw a documentary on this in 2007 but cannot remember the details
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Wow! you did it again. This is amazing. This gives anyone hope to maximize their day and to think deep as to what is their purpose on this earth…..
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Glenna,I can not wait to meet you went i come to Liberia in Febuary. What an excellent job.
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2 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] This is a neat article about Liberia’s amputee football team…which is beautifully complemented by Glenna Gordan’s remarkable photography. [...]
[...] Countries that have emerged from merciless civil wars like Sierra Leone and Liberia have a lot of healing left to do. Amputees on the streets symbolize their past horrors. While many of these amputees are victims of the bloodshed, most are former combatants now shunned from society. Few have the opportunity to work, so almost all survive on panhandling. For these people, amputee soccer provides a seed of hope for a world of acceptance, peace, and normality. There are compelling videos about players in Liberia and Sierra Leone here and here. Check out a professional conflict photographer’s photos of the Liberian team here. [...]
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