Pushin' Forward

At the age of 15, Southeast Chicago Latino gang-banger/drug dealer James Lilly was shot and paralyzed from the waist down in an attack that also left his closest friend dead. Incredibly, Lilly stayed in his gang for another four years, but when he tried to leave the life, he was nearly killed by his former homeboys. Temporarily fleeing Chicago, Lilly started anew in Dallas, and soon became obsessed with the sport of wheelchair racing, ultimately winning international competitions, and moving back to Chicago, where he married, started a family, and became a popular speaker at schools, warning kids to stay away from gangs. Lilly's passion for wheelchair racing gave him the drive to compete in the Sadler's Ultra Challenge in Alaska (where he suffered many heartbreaking losses)—the ultimate wheelchair race that covers 267 miles in six days. Filmmaker Izumi Tanaka's Pushin' Forward chronicles Lilly's story—including his 2002 Sadler win—through interviews with family and friends (such as a police officer and a principal who were among his old adversaries) and Lilly himself, serving up a testament to the reformed man's integrity, dedication, and spirit. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)