Wheelchair Adapted Sports: Aussie tennis players explain the game

Spring in here and wheelchair athletes are busy dusting off their gear. Hand-cycling, adapted golf, rock climbing, wheelchair softball – there are a tons of adapted sports that are impossible to do when it‘s snowy out. And down in Australia where the sun always shines is where you’ll find some of the best wheelchair tennis athletes in the world.

In this video from AttitudeTV, a slick Aussie disability video production company, two top Aussie wheelchair tennis players (one who is a low quadriplegic) have a ball creating a 6 minute video explaining everything about wheelchair tennis. They explain the rules, which are extremely few. Tennis is an adapted sport that’s very similar to the able-bodied version with only ONE rule change: You get two bounces.

The low quad host also shows off the custom hand splint uses in order to hold the racket (duct tape is a must!) to make sure the ball goes further than the racket when he serves. And they interview some of the top female Aussie players right now, letting you catch a glimpse of adorable camaraderie between players as well as bask in the sound of their lilty accents. And if you haven’t heard of Ben Weekes before, you will once the Paralympics come around this August. Not only does he look like a GQ model, he’s real and boy does he have an inspiring story (and he can even play with one bounce).

And Tim Gilmer, the Editor of New Mobility magazine, is busy dusting off his golf cart up in Oregon too (where he also runs an organic farm with his wife). Tim, who’s been injured since 1965, loved golf before he got hurt and has been playing the game, only adapted, for the last 30 years. Watch this video to hear his story, and to watch how easy a golf cart set-up for a paraplegic can work (once you get the hang of it).

Watch the videos!

– Aussie Tennis video
– Tim Gilmer plays golf