Randy Snow, indelible wheelchair tennis player, ambassador and coach
Randy Snow was a lifelong athlete. As a child, he was a ranked tennis player in his home state of Texas; but when a farming accident left him paralyzed at 16, his athletic career didn’t end, it flourished. Rather than turning away from sports, Snow dove into them and committed himself to a life of championing—and being the champion of—wheelchair sports.
Snow achieved a decorated career in wheelchair basketball, track, and most notably, tennis. The three-time Paralympic medalist was the first Paralympian to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and the second wheelchair tennis player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. One of his three Paralympic medals came in doubles alongside wheelchair tennis pioneer Brad Parks.
His tennis accolades are prolific: Snow won 22 major tournament titles, including 10 US Open singles titles (prior to their integration with the Grand Slams in the early 2000s) and was a part of many victorious USA World Team Cup teams in the 1980s and 1990s. Snow was named ITF Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year in 1991, and then USA Wheelchair Athlete of the Year in 2000.
Snow’s resume of accomplishments display his undeniable on-court talent, but perhaps Snow’s greatest impact came in the moments when points weren’t being played.
“It’s not about what impact he had on tennis, it’s about what impact Randy Snow had on people. I’ve never met anybody that had a greater impact on people,” said Paul Walker, former competitive wheelchair tennis player and current USTA National Wheelchair Coach.
Wheelchair tennis legend Randy Snow posing on a tennis court. Photo courtesy of World Tennis.
His magnetic charm, kindness and joy for the sport was felt by everyone he met. He pushed the sport to new heights, tirelessly advocating for wheelchair athletes. Snow served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, was involved with the National Council on Disability and developed “Randy Snow Wheelchair Tennis Camps” held worldwide.
“Randy was larger than life,” explained Jason Harnett, USTA Director of Wheelchair Tennis if I had to describe Randy. “He had the innate ability to make every person he met feel like they were the only person in the room. That's a real gift, to be able to make everybody feel special and unique. He’s just a great ambassador for the sport of wheelchair tennis.”
Randy Snow competing in a wheelchair tennis event. Photo courtesy of World Tennis.
As an example of Snow’s intentionality and care for others, Harnett recalls how Snow would make up fun nicknames for players who attended his wheelchair tennis camps. Once he created a name, it stuck. Even if months or years would go by, Snow would not only remember who someone was, but would call them by their nicknames.
“That was another great trait: Randy had a great memory and always remembered people. He had that sort of impact on people, and he transcended the sport,” Harnett said.
Those tennis camps showcased one of Snow’s many great talents: coaching. Snow and his mentor Dr. Bal Moore authored “Wheelchair Tennis: Myth to Reality,” a guide to wheelchair tennis techniques and drills, and still considered a gold standard of wheelchair tennis coaching.
Walker described Snow as both a student of the game and a great teacher, crediting his fantastic communication skills and charismatic demeanor.
Unfortunately, Snow passed away in 2009 while volunteering at a wheelchair tennis clinic in El Salvador. He was 50 years old. What he accomplished for the sport in his short time was immense, and his legacy is cherished as the USTA honors 50 years of wheelchair tennis.
“He was great for humanity,” Harnett added. “It's a shame that we don't have him with us now, because I think he would be so proud of everything that we've accomplished in wheelchair tennis.”
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