Randy Snow
Encyclopedia
Randy Snow was the first Paralympian
to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. A native of Terrell, Texas
, Snow was a state-ranked tennis
player as a teenager, but at the age of 16, his spine was crushed by a 1000-pound bale of hay
, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. After graduating, he enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin
in 1977, where he indulged in the fraternity
party life, until forming a wheelchair basketball
team under the direction of Jim Hayes, the University of Texas at Arlington
wheelchair sports director. Soon afterwards, he began wheelchair racing, and in 1980 transferred to Arlington
in order to work with Hayes, eventually establishing himself as the best wheelchair tennis
player in the United States.
In 1984, the Summer Olympics
added a men's 1500 meter wheelchair race as an exhibition
event. Snow went into heavy training, relocating to Houston, Texas
, to train on the same track as Carl Lewis
. This was the first Paralympic event to appear before a large audience, and the public were unsure of their feelings for wheelchair-using athletes. Snow received a silver medal, and the crowd gave the athletes a standing ovation
at the end of the exhibition.
Snow went on to win gold medals in the 1992 Summer Paralympics
in Barcelona
for singles and doubles tennis, and at the 1996 Atlanta Games
was a member of the bronze medal-winning wheelchair basketball team. He also competed in men's wheelchair tennis singles at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
but lost in the third round to eventual gold medalist David Hall
of Australia
.
He was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame on July 1, 2004.
Randy Snow died November 19, 2009 in El Salvador while volunteering at a wheelchair tennis camp.
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. A native of Terrell, Texas
Terrell, Texas
Terrell is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,606...
, Snow was a state-ranked tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player as a teenager, but at the age of 16, his spine was crushed by a 1000-pound bale of hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. After graduating, he enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1977, where he indulged in the fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
party life, until forming a wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
team under the direction of Jim Hayes, the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
wheelchair sports director. Soon afterwards, he began wheelchair racing, and in 1980 transferred to Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
in order to work with Hayes, eventually establishing himself as the best wheelchair tennis
Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair tennis is one of the forms of tennis adapted for those who have disabilities in their lower bodies. The size of courts, balls, and rackets are same, but there are two major differences from pedestrian tennis; they use specially designed wheelchairs and the ball may bounce up to two times...
player in the United States.
In 1984, the Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
added a men's 1500 meter wheelchair race as an exhibition
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
event. Snow went into heavy training, relocating to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, to train on the same track as Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
. This was the first Paralympic event to appear before a large audience, and the public were unsure of their feelings for wheelchair-using athletes. Snow received a silver medal, and the crowd gave the athletes a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
at the end of the exhibition.
Snow went on to win gold medals in the 1992 Summer Paralympics
1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Sports :The games consisted of 487 events spread over fifteen sports. Powerlifting and weightlifting were considered to be a single sport...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
for singles and doubles tennis, and at the 1996 Atlanta Games
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
was a member of the bronze medal-winning wheelchair basketball team. He also competed in men's wheelchair tennis singles at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000...
but lost in the third round to eventual gold medalist David Hall
David Hall (tennis)
Hall was inducted into the New South Wales Hall of Champions in 2009.In 2010 Hall was appointed an ambassador for wheelchair tennis by the International Tennis Federation to help promote the sport in Australia and worldwide...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
He was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame on July 1, 2004.
Randy Snow died November 19, 2009 in El Salvador while volunteering at a wheelchair tennis camp.