ICYMI: BTG Speaker Series #2 - Wheelchair Tennis | BC Wheelchair Sports Association

ICYMI: BTG Speaker Series #2 – Wheelchair Tennis
massive-dev | June 3, 2021

Parasport organizations from across Canada have come together to produce the Bridging Gap Speaker Series to spread awareness of BTG programming and parasports while sharing the stories of incredible athletes who’s lives have been changed through sport.

The First Swing – Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis athletes Barry Henderson (BC) and Candice Combdon (Ontario) joined us along with Coach and Paralympic medalist Kai Schrameyer on Friday, May 28th to discuss their experiences in wheelchair tennis and encourage new participants to get involved in this exciting and skillful sport that can be played almost anywhere.

You can watch the full presentation here:

Wheelchair Tennis 101

Wheelchair Tennis is a Paralympic sport and an adaption of the standing or running game for athletes with a mobility impairment.

Wheelchair tennis follows nearly identical rules to stand-up tennis with the exception that wheelchair tennis allows the ball to bounce twice before it is hit. For this reason, it is easy to modify for play with able-bodied people, and there are even “up/down” tournaments between people in wheelchairs and people standing. Wheelchair tennis is a great choice for people with disabilities living in smaller areas that do not have many organized wheelchair sports programs, since it can be played on any court and can be played with standing and/or able-bodied partners.

Many athletes compete in specialized tennis wheelchairs that are designed to increse speed, agility and balance. Tennis chairs are available for athletes to loan at an affordable cost through the Bridging the Gap Wheelchair Loan Program.

Competition is held in singles and doubles and athletes compete in one of two divisions.

Open- For athletes with a lower limb impairment (The Open division is further separated by gender into Men’s and Women’s competitions)
Quad – For athletes with an impairment in both their upper and lower limbs (This division is co-ed with men and women competing against each other)

Who Can Play

Wheelchair tennis is a fantastic sport for people of all ages and a range of abilities. Common impairments among wheelchair tennis athletes include but are not limited to (Spinal Cord Injuries, Spina Bifiida, Amputations, Amputations and/or Limb Differences, Cerebral Palsy and certain orthopedic and/or neuromuscular conditions. To learn more about if Wheelchair Tennis is the right fit for you, contact the BTG Coordinator in your province in your province today!