From military to firefighter to wheelchair tennis provider, Bob Juarez keeps serving
Bob Juarez’s entire life has been about service. So it’s only natural that tennis is now a part of it.
After a career in the military, Juarez served his community as a firefighter. He suffered a spinal cord injury on the job, resulting in him needing to use a wheelchair. But that has hardly slowed him down.
Now his passion is to provide recreational activities for others in wheelchairs. That includes Juarez organizing the Quad Cities Adaptive Sports Association Wheelchair Tennis Tournament on June 19-21 in Moline, Ill.
The 2026 event will be the 11th rendition of the annual tournament. It will be held at the Quad City Tennis Club, which provides indoor and outdoor courts. This year’s tourney is particularly significant with 2026 marking the 50th year of wheelchair tennis.
“I knew I wanted to help other people in a different way after my injury,” Juarez said. “I found out that with sports I was able to do that.”
The tournament has been growing every year. It remains the only USTA-sanctioned wheelchair tennis tournament in USTA Iowa. Besides participants from Iowa and Illinois, the event draws in athletes from Wisconsin, Nebraska and Missouri among other states.
The tournament offers coed A through D singles and doubles divisions as well as coed 18 & Under A and B singles and doubles divisions. Juarez and his team have raised enough donations to provide cash prizes for the winners of each division as well as nearly all the meals for participants. The organization was one of five from the USTA Missouri Valley to receive a USTA Wheelchair Tennis Grassroots Grant.
A Newfound Purpose
Juarez was injured in 2008 while working an active commercial structure fire. He fell off a ladder with all his gear on and sustained a spinal cord injury, resulting in him needing to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Bob Juarez (right) provides several wheelchair tennis opportunities for players, including junior clinics, a league and the annual Quad Cities Adaptive Sports Association Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.
Bob Juarez (bottom row, right) was injured while working as a firefighter. “I knew I wanted to help other people in a different way after my injury,” he said. “I found out that with sports I was able to do that.”
- Bob Juarez (right) provides several wheelchair tennis opportunities for players, including junior clinics, a league and the annual Quad Cities Adaptive Sports Association Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.
- Bob Juarez (bottom row, right) was injured while working as a firefighter. “I knew I wanted to help other people in a different way after my injury,” he said. “I found out that with sports I was able to do that.”
He admitted he might have had a pity party for a very brief time, but it didn’t last. He credited his wife of more than 40 years and his former colleagues in the fire department for providing inspiration to keep serving.
“It was unfortunate what happened, but I think my injury made me realize that you can still be helpful to others when there’s a crisis in your life,” he said. “I wanted to continue to be able to help others in a positive way.”
Interestingly, even though he was very active, Juarez didn’t play tennis before his injury. After the injury, John Terpkosh, the USTA Missouri Valley’s senior manager of Tennis Venue Services, introduced him to wheelchair tennis.
Less than three years after the catastrophic injury, Juarez and a few others founded the Quad Cities Area Adaptive Sports Association. They networked with various tennis clubs as well as parks and recreation departments to provide opportunities.
Creating Community
In addition to the annual tennis tournament, the Quad Cities Area Adaptive Sports Association offers wheelchair tennis opportunities in the form of summer play, a local league and junior clinics.
“We tried to attract other individuals with physical disabilities who wanted to get involved with adaptive sports,” Juarez said.
The Quad Cities Area Adaptive Sports Association has an organized lacrosse team. In the past, the association has had an adaptive rowing program as well as basketball and softball teams. The organization is willing to try any adaptive sport as long as there is interest.
“I was always active prior to my injury as a firefighter,” Juarez said. “I knew I had to stay active. Right away, I informed my wife I was going to have all these sport chairs at our house. Sure enough, I do.
“Through the help of the USTA and also the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which provides equipment for disabled athletes throughout the country, I’ve been able to help a lot of people. Being a military veteran, I was able to acquire additional equipment.”
The man who has dedicated his life to service is not going to let an injury derail his passion for serving others.
It’s just who he is.
Learn more about wheelchair tennis programming throughout the USTA Missouri Valley by clicking here.
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