The Boccia Brothers

In our classification there is only two spaces...

..but potentially three athletes that can go.

So it's gonna be harsh for one of us,

one of us won't get to go and we are good pals, good friends.

A good squad, a good team.

Selection's made, I think, next week.

We don't find out until the 10th April,

which I think we get a phone call or whatever we get.

I'm sure you'll be all right being second in the world.

It's me that has to fight for my place - so we will see.

-We're all fighting.

-We're all fighting.

No so much him , I don't think. Cannae be -

second in the world, you're no going?

Peter and Stephen McGuire are brothers in their late 20s from Hamilton, in Scotland.

They play a sport called boccia -

a game like French boules only played from a wheelchair.

Each player has six leather balls.

A white jack ball is thrown.

The players then throw one ball each.

The player with the ball furthest from the jack

then keeps throwing till he is closest.

When he is, the other player throws.

In the final days and weeks before the Paralympic selection,

the three friends fight for the two places.

..forcing him into the lob.

Seven years of hard work have brought Stephen and Peter to this point.

-See that back red?

-I can see it.

An athlete's drink, eh?

HE BELCHES Pardon me.

So Stephen's ball's alright, then?

Head coach, Jim Thomson, watches the boys' every move.

He has to decide who goes to compete in London.

17-year-old Jamie is the boys' biggest rival for a place.

Jamie's a great wee player.

And he's pushed me well

but I don't want him to take my place, either.

We're all close and we're all good team-mates

but we're all here for ourselves and we try to go over each other.

It was an incredibly difficult decision because

of the condition that both the boys have, you know that London could be

the only chance they get

irrespective of which way round it ended up going.

I knew that it was potentially

robbing one or the other of them

of the chance to perform at a Paralympics Games.

The brothers have muscular dystrophy -

an inherited disorder that causes muscles to waste and weaken.

It's a degenerative condition with a limited life expectancy,

and no known cure.

As soon as he was born

I knew there was something wrong with Peter because he was floppy.

He had some sort of muscle condition

but they couldn't say what it was or anything like that.

Then Stephen was born a year and 10 month after that, Stephen was

lot stronger than Peter, but he did have the same type of condition.

When I started realising I must have been about three -

as soon as I can remember things, I knew I was different,

I used to walk a lot different from others.

I wouldn't change it.

I had a great childhood we were always out playing,

there was nothing we didn't do.

We weren't kept back or cotton wool kids.

We were chucked out - "On you go, go and play."

I remember jumping about in the snow and the snow being up to my knees

and I couldn't walk good at the best of times!

Always if you're going somewhere, Dad would say, "Tough love," you know.

Keep you legs moving, you're walking.

It made us more outgoing as well.

I think a lot of people with muscular dystrophy

it's very family orientated and they're quite shy.

But we were just thrown out there - there was millions of us as kids.

Running down the park. There was hundreds of kids - it was great.

Everybody says, "You're pushing them."

I said, "Not really, they're not in a chair yet, they're doing alright."

It's good to push people. You push yourself for your best.

It's nearly ten o'clock.

The boys are about to find out if they've been chosen for the team.

Everybody is in the same boat, waiting.

Are you checking or am I?

You can check it - I know what you're like!

It's a minute fast.

You got me checking now!

If I've no got it, you've no got it. There you go.

"Dear Stephen, please find a letter from Matt Hammond regarding selection."

Is it the top or the bottom one?

You pick one, I'll pick the other.

"I'd like to congratulate you on being selected for London 2012."

-There you go.

-Did you?

Did they no make it big enough for you to read? No.

Get your specs on!

I got the same.

"On behalf of GB Boccia Federation, I would like to congratulate you

"on selection for the 2012 Paralympic Games."

We both got in!

CHEERING FROM PHONE SPEAKER

-'I'm confused.'

-How?

'Cos he just texted saying, "I got it."'

'I said, "Got what? "Got the e-mail, got what?"'

Exactly. Just got it.

I've got the individuals and the pairs.

'Why didn't you ring me?!'

'You don't even sound excited.'

Cos I'm in the gym.

Keep your arm straight.

"Well, that's us, we're going." I knew that. That's fine, that's great.

But can I pay for my milk? Cos I was out for milk at the time!

It was just in a wee shop.

But as soon as put the phone down, I said, "That's my two boys picked for the Paralympics."

The guy went, "What?"

because I was out in Uddingston, it wasn't as if I was about here.

Well, I'm delighted we both made it.

I am gutted for Jamie. I got on with Jamie we all do.

Probably one of the worst days of my life.

You know I'm slightly a bit more over it now,

you never quite forget it but I've got to aim for other things.

It was a mixed day, it was crazy.

We used to go on family holidays all the time.

I stuck to my mum like glue.

Everywhere she went I was holding on to her.

We'd be all together as a family then.

It wouldnae be like my dad's at work, my mam's watching us.

Or other way about. My dad's watching us, my mother's out shopping.

So the best times we were all together - it was a good laugh.

She was quite loud. She would wear all these colourful things.

I think I have a picture of her in a bright yellow tracksuit.

She used to have the same haircut as my dad. I found it hilarious!

The two of them had the curly mops. So funny!

It was sudden. It was in the middle of the night, she passed.

Well, she had a bowel problem, colitis.

She had an operation to remove part of it.

She came back out.

Then she went in for another operation.

Then she came back out, she was fine.

Then she just went to bed one night and she died in her sleep.

I just remember a lot of people in the house and when I woke up - it was night.

"What's happening?" and no-one would tell me.

By that time we had to tell him. They never said anything.

Quiet.

It went right to the heart, you know.

To have someone so close, she was there all the time, then...

Boompf!

I remember Peter sobbing so much but they took it well.

But if ever a mum was needed, that lady was.

I'm glad I wasn't too young to forget.

I'm glad I know. Got some great memories.

You still had the boys to look after

and then once we got everything settled out it was just fine then.

We just got on with our lives. But it's taken a wee while.

Taken a wee while.

There's the two dear children, dear, dear children.

I'd know Alison since we were small.

Alison's actually Mary's cousin.

She's my godmother, my auntie, my stepmother so...

It was a little bit weird to begin with.

Not weird in the sense that I didn't like it, or anything like that.

It was strange having another mother figure, so to speak,

so near after what had just happened.

That's life. I knew exactly at that age...

He wasn't going to be....

My Dad's going to be celibate for another 30-40 years so...

I knew something would happen.

I knew and Peter knew what we were doing was right at the time

and I knew Mary would have supported us

plus my mum and dad.

I love the bones of Peter and Stephen, I always have done,

even before they were born, as I say.

I think everything happens for a reason

but if you can take it all back and reverse the tape...

I wish that Mary had never died.

I'd still be part of their lives but it wouldn't be this life.

You just got to get on with it.

-Want another one?

-No, thanks, son.

Let me see what they are.

Monster Munch.

I've got me auntie hooked on these crisps now.

I don't think you'd get me hooked on them.

-Dead spicy.

-Aye, they are that. I've never seen these before.

If I'd known you were coming,

if you hadn't said to be yesterday...

Peter and Stephen went to a mainstream primary,

but when they were 11 and 12, they moved to Ashcraig School,

in Royston, Glasgow.

Stephen now teaches the children here boccia once a week.

Although me and Pete grew up with disability all our lives

we were in a mainstream school.

Me and Pete and maybe one or two others, so you don't really see

that many disabled kids and then when you go there

you see multiple kids.

It was a bit like any kids like that, you are looking.

It's natural. Look at that chair, you know.

He's not got a leg.

You're like that when you're 12 years old.

I had a couple of good big pals, you know, big 7 footers, 18 stones.

at high school, they were the body guards!

"You talking to me, pal?

"Him, an' all."

-Where's the chair?

-He's away in with it.

Stephen and Peter share a house and live independent lives.

Their parents and younger brother, Ciaran, stay round the corner.

Go, swing it, swing it. Right down. There it goes.

I don't know what I'm doing!

They've been waiting for this day for weeks.

The kit has finally arrived!

-The arms are mesh there. When you sweat.

-That is brilliant!

You're no laying them out on the washing line.

No, they'll be stolen.

I think they're woman's!

When in doubt give it to Stephen!

Want a polo shirt?

She must have been hard at work - Stella McCartney - designing all this!

Who's Stella McCartney?

She's a fashion designer.

Only the best for the athletes.

You must have trainers.

No trainers! Zoom right in. Look at that lug!

The Paralympic Squad is on its way to Portugal to take part in the Boccia Masters.

They must look at the boarding bard and go, "Oh, disabled.

-"Back of the plane." Say hello the Scottish public.

-Hello.

I need business class, definitely.

With free drinks.

Thank you.

What time are we hitting these lifts here?

Give it five minutes.

You've got everything you need?

Just got to get his chair folded.

You've got wipes and cream in your bag.

Feel like I'm three months old!

This is the last major international tournament before the Paralympic Games.

Many of the teams they will be competing against in London are here, as well as some old rivals.

It's important that they establish a psychological advantage

that they can carry through to the Games.

Yes, come on.

In disability sport each athlete is examined

and assigned a classification to ensure fairness.

In 2009 Stephen's disability was called into question.

The problem was that Stephen looked stronger than

he actually was at the European Championship.

And the classifiers pulled him in and decided that he was physically too able to play.

When you start winning they take notice

and they decided there is something not right there.

I got ECGs, videoed, strip-searched looking for muscle tone.

And there nothing - they can't find anything.

And for the next year, it was the toughest because I training...

I didn't want to at times because I was thinking, "Am I too able?"

"Will they chuck me out?" I don't want to do strengthening conditioning stuff,

hydrotherapy, whatever, in case I get more able.

It's always something which is hanging over him and really now

it shouldn't be an issue because his muscle strength has deteriorated

in the last three years to a point where we are fairly comfortable.

that he should get through classification,

if he is called for classification, in London.

Stephen is one of the best players in the world, but he isn't playing well.

He's frustrated and tired.

I want you to play with flair not fear.

He must do everything he can to beat the Canadian, to scrape through to the next round.

Stephen, that's nice.

-Too

-BLEEP

-right it is.

That'll do, wee man, that'll do.

That's how you do it, Josh.

He tries to use every advantage that he can get, I guess.

And that is what every good competitor does.

He was playing mind games with me a bit, refusing to move back, maybe.

On court it's about anywhere where you can get that edge,

anywhere where you can unnerve your opposition you are going to try and do that.

Stephen and Peter are really good at it.

HE BELCHES

You can only get psyched out if you let yourself get psyched out.

Maybe the c-word.

I don't know if it's so controversial in Britain,

the c-word.

-It might be a compliment!

-Maybe(!)

Move back, please.

-Hmm?

-Please move back.

Yes, come on.

Out! >

Out.

Out. >

Ooh, running out of balls, Josh!

Running out of balls.

You've been battered the last couple of weeks, haven't you?

-What's that?

-You've been battered the last couple of weeks.

-Battered?

-Destroyed?

-Destroyed, yeah, demolished.

-Both fine, yeah?

-Yeah. What's happened?

-You used to be better than that?

-I don't have hands!

Well, that's one way of looking at it, Josh.

I was born without them.

-Unlucky.

-Yeah! For boccia!

Ah, well.

I knew beforehand that I had to be up for that match.

That I was more confident than him.

I was the presence on court than Josh but do I regret it?

Yeah, I do. I do regret things like that. It's not me.

Stephen, in particular, is in constant pain going through his hip.

And he was taking a lot of fairly strong painkillers just to get him through the day.

And to try to manage the pain levels.

He was at a point where we were seriously considering

whether he would play the next game because of the amount of pain he was in.

It's hard, you know.

You look at them from when they were able to walk to finishing

up in a wheelchair it's hard.

It's something you don't think about every day -

there's no use going on about that - it's about what you can do.

So you try... You cannae block it out but you try to get on with life.

You don't think down that road.

I don't think about the future much.

Of course, you know it's a deteriorating condition

but, to be honest, since playing boccia, it's sort of stabilised

and that's been seven years, which is phenomenal.

And I think we are really benefiting from the sport.

Can you take that hair out of there, please?

Hair. Hair.

There's hair down there. Take it out.

There we go. Thank you very much.

It was a couple of days after I won the Scottish Open.

My first time, because Stephen won it four years in a row.

In 2009 I got it.

And I went to bed, woke up and, "Oh, I feel kind of funny".

My arm felt really heavy and I had not been lying on it as I sleep on this side.

It's no moving right. "Oh, it feels weird."

I started shouting, "Stephen!"

but I was just making these funny noises - just trying to talk.

And all I heard was this shouting and I just knew straight away

that something was wrong, Pete doesn't shout, "Stephen!"

I just thought, "Shit,"

I got out of bed quick as I could, went straight through.

"You'll need to come here. There's something wrong with Peter.

"He's not talking right."

I'm no talking right?

Get me an ambulance! An ambulance.

All he was saying was "ahbababubbab."

And was like, "What?!" "What's wrong with you?"

Then the paramedics came

and I just kind of like...

"What's going on here?"

Peter suffered a stroke at the age of 26.

The realisation of Pete's vulnerability rocked a family.

Shit, you know, am I going to be all right?

Am I gonna be able to play again?

Your memory, can you pass me that thing, that thing there.

It's right in front of you. "What do you want, Peter?" That green thing.

"It's a bottle."

I know it's a bottle! Just give me it.

He fights through boch and he fights through life.

And I sort of look up to him a wee bit that way - I do.

I wish I had that sort of courage not courage but fight.

This is the part of the tournament where the boys play together as a pair.

They are ranked number two in the world, second only to Brazil.

Their first match is against Russia.

-I'm gieing up, I'm

-BLEEP

-gieing up.

I carry you here, you carry me later.

Peter and Stephen win 12-0.

Now they play hosts, Portugal.

Yes, come on!

The brothers win again, 9-0.

Next in their group is the Czech Republic -

They get beaten 5-3.

Now they meet Brazil in the semi-final.

Look here. Stop the timer.

Red touching blue to play. Give her your glasses!

-Oh for

-BLEEP

-sake!

It's game over.

They get beaten by the champions by five points.

HE BLOWS

In order to salvage a medal, they must beat the Slovaks.

Yes, come on!

He's a bottler. Keep annoying them.

-There we go, Stephen. Yes, come on.

-BLEEP

-brilliant. Game over.

They do. 8-1.

Cheers. Well done.

APPLAUSE

They take home a bronze medal but this is just a dress rehearsal.

The real contest is still to come.

We're going down, yes.

I don't know where we are staying yet.

I do know where we are staying, we are taking a camper.

We were going to go to a hotel but they ripped me off at the prices, as usual.

London is dear at the best of times.

They're really hiking it for the Olympics.

No, I am not going down. It is one of these things...

I would like to be there but I would get too emotional.

I'd be kicking the ball the way it should be!

We got a nice letter from Sport Scotland the other day.

I've no seen yet.

It's a congratulations on your first Paralympics.

But it wasn't standard congratulations letter.

It was like, you are competing with your brother. It was personalised.

Which makes it quite good, it was really nice.

Although they did say we would be competing against each other,

I hope they don't know something we don't.

Did Jim tell you about the time at the world champions where

I played Peter in the last 16?

I win the group, Pete came second.

There's always a risk where I can play Pete

and it so happened I played Pete in the last 16 in the world champs.

Shit, someone's going out. It came down to the last ball

and Pete had a shot that he probably does nine times out of ten.

It just nudges in.

For some reason, which we don't even speak about now,

people have their opinions, he nudged mine in which meant I went through.

The final ball, he won it.

I would think there was slightly, let's help your brother through,

maybe he is technically better and more chance of getting a medal.

He may have been thinking that way, I don't know.

I think he deserved it because of what happened before.

With the Europeans and getting declassified.

So, it was good.

A good way to come back and show them what you can do.

Deliberate? We don't throw games, but then Jim was going well, he might have.

They do say that.

Jim thinks the same.

The sun is getting nicer, isn't it?

Aye, shame we're indoors all day.

-Come outside for lunch.

-We only get half an hour, 20 minutes.

By the time you get out...

# Now that you know it's nowhere

# What's to stop you coming home?

# All you've got to do is go there

# Then you really realise what's going down. #

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