Tennis Industry Magazine has named Randy Ortwein, advisory board member and past president of the Houston Tennis Association, its Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year for 2016.
The national magazine, the only publication covering all the racquet sports, selected Ortwein because of his years of dedication and contributions to wheelchair tennis. The Magnolia, Texas, resident got involved in wheelchair tennis in the late 1990s when he was introduced to it by tennis wheelchair pioneer Randy Snow.
Ortwein, a USPTA wheelchair certified teaching pro, has helped develop and support local programs, developing several strategies to track the sport and securing 12 sport wheelchairs for the athletes. He has conducted countless clinics, camps and lessons for wheelchair athletes and introduced the Up/Down League and Run/Roll events to the HTA.
Randy’s dedication to wheelchair tennis springs from his desire to bring everyone into the tennis mix and spread the benefits of the game’s social and healthy aspects. His motivation comes from his admiration of the wheelchair athletes.
In his own words, “All you have to do is spend one hour with these athletes, and my inspiration becomes crystal clear. These athletes overcome many obstacles just getting to the courts to play tennis—obstacles that most of us will never truly understand.”
Ortwein has been president of the Houston Tennis Association, chair of the USTA Texas Wheelchair Tennis Committee and a member and chair of the national USTA Wheelchair Tennis Association. In 2012, he was awarded the USTA Texas Section’s W.T. Caswell Service Award.
Visit the Tennis Industry Magazine Website for more information.
Recent Comments