Ben Weekes

Started: He began playing wheelchair tennis at age 14 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Before acquiring his impairment, he took part in a number of sports including swimming, basketball and tennis. (Athlete, 20 Jul 2016; theage.com.au, 02 Aug 2008) Reason: He was encouraged to take up the sport by a physiotherapist as part of his rehabilitation, and began to train seriously after watching Australian wheelchair tennis player David Hall win gold at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney. "When I first started I was hopeless, I couldn't imagine how I could go from playing standing up before to sitting in a chair." (paralympic.org.au, 28 Apr 2011; theage.com.au, 02 Aug 2008) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (tennis.com.au, 02 Jul 2024) Additional Info: PLAYER COUNCIL He has served on the International Tennis Federation [ITF] Wheelchair Tennis Player Council, first being elected in 2018 and earning re-election in 2020. "We have quietly been working behind the scenes to make sure that a player perspective gets added to the decisions for our sport. I have really enjoyed being a part of it and I think we have made good progress at establishing a better communication between the players and the decision makers. It's not always easy when there are a lot of different viewpoints, but it has definitely given me an appreciation to all the different ideas players have across different regions and different levels." (itftennis.com, 13 Feb 2021; insidethegames.biz, 31 Dec 2020) OTHER ACTIVITIES Alongside wheelchair tennis, he has worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]. He is also a trained pianist and composer, and has performed at the Sydney Opera House and other venues in Australia. (itftennis.com, 13 Feb 2021; paralympic.org.au, 18 Sep 2016; theage.com.au, 02 Aug 2008)