Ben Bartram

Started: He began playing wheelchair tennis at age 11. "When I first started playing it was just a once-a-week thing and I didn't really think it would get to this level. Then I started playing a few tournaments and it just grew from there." (bbc.com, 23 Jan 2023; tennis365.com, 11 Sep 2022) Reason: He originally played wheelchair basketball. He switched to wheelchair tennis after he was inspired by British wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett's two silver medals at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "I hadn't played any sport for about a year and I was in quite a bad place. I was lonely and sad and I struggled with anxiety in high school. I would put myself through the pain of walking just to try to feel normal. Tennis was a place where I felt normal. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for me and it is a great community to be part of. Tennis has changed my relationship with my wheelchair. I'm passionate about the sport - playing isn't a job or a chore for me and I enjoy it so much." (Instagram profile, 01 Dec 2023; bbc.com, 23 Jan 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 27 Feb 2024) Awards: In 2022 he was named International Tennis Federation [ITF] Junior Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year. (lta.org.uk, 24 Oct 2022) He was named Junior Player of the Year at the 2022 Lawn Tennis Association [LTA] Awards in Great Britain. (lta.org.uk, 19 May 2022)