“Hey, check this out!” said the hubby, pointing at the TV. A handsome guy stood next to Hulk Hogan on the American Gladiators show. As he turned his head, I noticed a cochlear implant on his right ear.
I had never watched American Gladiator before, but I did cover the death of Shelley Beattie, the deaf American Gladitor who played Siren for several seasons. I settled on the couch to watch Brick Reilly, who works as a tree climber in New Jersey, compete against Toby, a father of two from Tennesee.
According to the American Gladiator website:
Brick Reilly is a 27-year-old tree climber from Springfield, New Jersey. He was born deaf and has always deemed athletics an important escape from the realities of life. Though Reilly recently had a cochlear implant which gave him the ability to hear, he never used his disability as an excuse in his life. He works as a mentor for deaf children in the New Jersey area.
During the introductions, it appeared that Brick was handling the conversation well– I wasn’t sure if he was looking at an interpreter in the background or not. Two teachers and a group of children from an oral deaf school appeared on screen to wish Brick good luck. Brick responded in sign: “In the end, I’m going to win!”
Despite a rough start, Brick pulled ahead and had a 12 and half second lead going into the Eliminator contest, an obstacle course that determines the final winner. Halfway through the obstacle course, Brick landed on his shoulder and appeared to be in tremendous pain. He finished the course ahead of Toby and was declared the winner.
All that work seems to be worth it, as Brick walked off with a new SUV and $100,000 cash. Correction– Brick won that episode and he’ll go on to compete for more. The finalist will win at the end of the season. Congrats to Brick–you rocked that episode!