From Leg Braces to Major League Baseball: Film Tells Triumphant True Story of MLB Player Rickey Hill
Former Major League Baseball player Rickey Hill was born with a genetic degenerative spine disorder, which caused him to wear leg braces as a child.
"The Hill," a new movie starring award-winning actor Dennis Quaid, follows the incredible true story of Rickey Hill, a man who triumphed over his disability and made it as a professional baseball player with the Montreal Expos.
Quaid plays Rickey's father, James Hill, who at first, did not support his passion for baseball. James, a Baptist preacher, believed God also called Rickey to become a preacher. Rickey had a gift for preaching, but even more of a passion for hitting a baseball.
"I started hitting rocks with a stick from sun up to sundown...I kind of actually did that to my father, because he's so thrilled to see his son out there beating his own dad and preaching and I'm just a young boy," Rickey Hill told editor Jacqueline Burkepile in an interview with ChurchPOP.
"He loved me no matter what. He always gave me the strength to make it through...he was always tender, loving, and kind to me. He eventually let me make my own decision of what I wanted to do."
"The Hill" beautifully depicts Rickey's triumph over his crippling disability, encouraging viewers that all things are possible with God.
Despite Rickey's disagreement with his father, he carried on and proved he could become a great professional baseball player.
Burkepile spoke with both Rickey Hill and the film's director, Jeff Celentano. They discussed the process of making the film, Rickey's relationship with God and his dad, and how his faith ultimately carried him through everything he endured.
Watch the interview below:
In the interview, Burkepile asks Hill what he says to those who feel like giving up, especially in times of adversity.
He explained that there's "no such thing as giving up," and recommended keeping the faith, fighting the fight, and turning to Philippians 4:13.
"You don't give up. There's no such thing. You don't stop. The word quit – you've never heard of. You take those words and throw them out of your vocabulary. You tell yourself you're going to defeat whatever you're gonna defeat. Goliath, basically.
"There's an almighty God that can do anything. That's why I use Philippians 4:13 as my life structure," Hill continued. "You fight the fight, you keep the faith, and you finish that course, and don't ever quit."