The story of Marc Werner is touching – but above all, it gives courage. But how does he manage to play Dota with his head?
Paraplegic and yet a Dota player – This man is an inspiration.
The story of Marc Werner is touching – but above all, it gives courage. But how does he manage to play Dota with his head?
While trying to kitesurf, he hit a house and broke three cervical vertebrae. This resulted in a two-week coma, a long stay in the hospital and severe paralysis of the body. Yet, nearly 14 years after this twist of fate, his journey is inspiring.
In an interview for the official Dota Channel during TI 2021, he explained, “Your family is incredibly sorry for you in your situation – and you want to change that because you are the cause of it. And then I wanted to be strong – for them”.
Her father also spoke about the situation, visibly touched. But in the film, it was clear: “I see the evolution today. For me, it was not a tragedy, but a kind of challenge – which we take on as a family”.
Two years after the accident, a friend approached him to ask if they didn’t want to play Dota like before – and that’s how Marc Werner fought his way back into the gaming world. he missed. He surpassed his friend in terms of skill – at the time of the last documentary, his MMR was 3000.
He explained his commands in a YouTube video. He mainly uses a joystick with his chin and a left or right click with his temples, via buttons placed at the corresponding height – and thus has a way of playing in game similar to that of most mouse players.
Bewitched by the pleasure of playing Dota, he also ventured to resume his school and university career, and has since obtained a license and a master’s degree in his pocket. “Marc himself is a role model for me. He taught me that there is a solution to every problem. You just have to think a little beyond the tip of your nose, ”explained his brother.
Online, hardly anyone knows he has a disability: “When people say, ‘You play badly,’ they say it because I play badly. And it doesn’t matter.”
Dota has allowed Marl’s gamer to regain some normality, he can again participate in competitions: “I think it’s good for me, because it allows me to accept my situation”. On his now inactive Twitch channel, he also listed HearthStone, Dirt 3 and Cities: Skylines as his favorite games.
He successfully overcame the fight against such a twist of fate – and gaming was able to contribute to this.