A Kelowna-based tennis player has been selected for a newly formed Tennis Canada development program.
Sam Peters is one of seven athletes selected for the 2023 National Wheelchair Tennis Development Program. The program was launched in May 2023 and aims to support promising athletes early on in their development path so that they can reach their full potential.
Peters, who had both legs amputated above the knee at birth, has been playing tennis for four years.
Despite the obstacles to participating in the sport, as Kelowna only has one indoor facility with courts (which is not wheelchair accessible), Peters attended the 2022 United States Tennis Federation (UTSA) Junior Wheelchair Tennis Camp, where the The best 12-18 year olds competed from all over North America.
The 15-year-old is also an experienced skier, competing during the winter months as part of the Powder Hounds at Big White.
Kai Schramyer, national coach of the high-performance wheelchair tennis program, was extremely proud that a program for accessible athletes received national funding.
“The support that the National Development Program offers to these talented athletes will maximize their potential in the years to come,” he said. “Hopefully this will lead to a greater number of meaningful results at our national tournaments, ITF events and eventually the Paralympics.”
Peters himself has similarly lofty aspirations, saying in an interview last year that he hopes to be a Paralympian at both the Winter and Summer Games.
The six other members of the development team are:
Lachlan Sandford (Junior): Mission, BC
John Chen (junior): Richmond, BC
Frédérique Bérubé Perron (Junior): St-Bruno, QC
Hisham Mohammad (Quad): Hamilton, ON
Candice Combdon (women): Barrie, ON
Shawn Courchesne (men): Toronto, ON
For more information on the national development program, go to tenniscanada.com/compete/wheelchair/high-performance-program.
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