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Spinal cord injuries can happen to anyone at any time, and that is exactly what happened to Martrell Stevens, injured at just four years old in a shooting. After high school, he has moved on to an exciting phase of his life – college, wheelchair basketball and he’s now looking to solidifying a career in sports. Read his story below.
Childhood Injury
On the south side of Chicago, it’s not uncommon for shootings to occur, including young children injured in the crosshairs. “I was struck by a stray bullet at the age of 4 on the southside of Chicago, Illinois. May 23, 2008,” he says. Stevens sustained a T-7 incomplete injury as a result. After returning home, he lived his life and grew up. Once he became old enough to attend high school, Stevens received a scholarship to a private high school, Brooks School, in Massachusetts.
It was here where he found a love of wheelchair basketball. Stevens also wanted to find a job while in high school, but found it difficult to find one he could do. “Growing up I found many normal high school kid jobs or ways of making money out of reach for me because they almost always had physical requirements.” He did however volunteer for the Shirly Ryan Ability Lab Caring for Kids Program in Chicago since he was an alumni of the program.
Heading to the University of Illinois
Stevens’ love of wheelchair basketball was the driving force in his decision of where to attend college, which was a massively important decision he had to make once he neared high school graduation. In the end, he chose the University of Illinois. “I decided to attend the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign mainly for its historic wheelchair basketball program and my dreams of becoming a Paralympian within the sport,” he says.
“I also loved the sports management program they offered because it provided the niche concentration within the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism major.” Wheelchair basketball is such a driving force in his life that he is also trying out for the USA U23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team in Colorado Springs on Nov 6th – Nov 10th. “Hopefully I make it and compete at the IWBF U23 World Championship June 12-20, 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil!”
And wheelchair basketball has taught Stevens several life lessons since discovering the sport. “Wheelchair basketball has taught me a great deal on how to work for what you want in life and how to work collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal. I attribute much of my attitude in life, school, and work to my time playing sports and being part of a team,” he says.
He also says that wheelchair basketball gave him the skills to chase his passion and the ability to earn internships, which he was able to do with the Indiana Pacers this past summer. “I was able to land this amazing internship thanks to the Gregory Fehribach Foundation and their internship scholarship given to those with disabilities working in Indiana.”
“I had the roles of DEI and Community Engagement intern because of the details I shared in my interview last spring,” he explains. “And I had the opportunity to help coach the Jr. Hoop Pacers & Fever Basketball camps at local schools all summer which was right up my lane being a collegiate wheelchair basketball player.”
Stevens also worked closely with the DEI department to help them include and improve accessibility standards around the company and implement internal posters to teach the organization about different awareness months such as Deaf Awareness Month. “I hope to return back next summer but that is yet to be determined,” he says.
When it comes to his future career, Stevens knows that sports has to be somehow involved. “My dream job has always been working for the NBA or NFL but lately I have been wanting to start my own nonprofit to help kids with disabilities gain greater access to adaptive athletics. Thinking of naming it, ‘Athletes Adapt!'”
And if you are someone like Stevens; ie., you use a wheelchair or have some kind of disability, and you are worried about going to college and finding a career , and more importantly one you like, he has this advice to share. “Figure out how you can positively make a difference in the lives of the people around you. I think about all the people that have helped me get to this position I am in today and am eternally grateful, so I have no other motivation but to give back or pay if forward,” he says.
“Whether I end up creating my own nonprofit or working at a Park District teaching kids with disabilities wheelchair basketball, I feel like I’ll always love what I’m doing if I’m positively impacting someone else’s life like many did for me.”
ideas@spinalpedia.com
