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Brad Parks Invents Wheelchair Tennis, Reaches Paralympic Grand Slams

7/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Brad Parks imagined wheelchair tennis after seeing a court sign banning bikes and skateboards, noting his chair’s wheels resembled a skateboard.
He created the sport after a 1976 skiing accident left him in a wheelchair.
At 18, Parks hit balls from a wheelchair while his family played on a park court in Indiana.
He later refined the game, recruited players, and secured its inclusion in Grand Slam and Paralympic events.

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Story summary

Brad Parks imagined wheelchair tennis after seeing a court sign banning bikes and skateboards, noting his chair’s wheels resembled a skateboard.
He created the sport after a 1976 skiing accident left him in a wheelchair.
At 18, Parks hit balls from a wheelchair while his family played on a park court in Indiana.
He later refined the game, recruited players, and secured its inclusion in Grand Slam and Paralympic events.