Lucy Shuker

Started: She began playing wheelchair tennis in 2003 at age 23 in Hampshire, England. (Athlete, 11 Aug 2015) Reason: "Pete Norfolk [British wheelchair tennis player] introduced me to wheelchair tennis as I was a former badminton player. I love the sport, it's done so much for me since my accident. He lent me a tennis chair and said you know what why don't you try tennis. And I didn't take up the sport to be a Paralympian or to play Grand Slams, I started playing cause I'd had the accident and my life was suddenly very, very different to what it had been. Playing tennis made me smile again and challenged me in so many different ways. It meant I could go and play with my friends and family and it was something that helped me find a way to accept both my accident and my disability." (everybodymoves.org.uk, 13 Jul 2023; itftennis.com, 12 Jul 2023; Athlete, 11 Aug 2015) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, and to win a Grand Slam title. (wimbledondebentureholders.com, 28 Feb 2024; bbc.co.uk, 28 Jun 2023) Milestones: She and teammate Jordanne Whiley became the first British female wheelchair tennis players to win medals at the Paralympic Games, when they claimed bronze in women's doubles at the 2012 Games in London. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Mar 2020) Awards: She and wheelchair basketball player Terry Bywater were Great Britain's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) She was awarded the British Empire Medal [BEM] in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours list. (itftennis.com, 12 Jul 2023) In 2017 she was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University in England. (Facebook page, 04 Jan 2021; bournemouth.ac.uk, 08 Nov 2017) She was named Disability Player of the Year for 2010 and 2012 at the British Tennis Awards. (Facebook page, 04 Jan 2021; mootennis.com, 11 Mar 2016) In 2011 she received the Vitalise Woman of Achievement Award from the British charity Revitalise. (Facebook page, 04 Jan 2021; revitalise.org.uk, 17 Oct 2011) She was presented with the International Tennis Federation [ITF] Wheelchair Tennis Player Choice Award in 2007. (Facebook page, 04 Jan 2021; mootennis.com, 11 Mar 2016) In 2005 she received the Wheel Power Sports Award for Individual Female Achievement. (telegraph.co.uk, 01 Jun 2012) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In February 2020 she became chair of the International Tennis Federation [ITF] Wheelchair Tennis Player Council. In 2020 she also became National School Sports Champion for tennis with the Lawn Tennis Association [LTA] in Great Britain. She has served as a trustee of the charity Bright Ideas for Tennis, and as an athlete ambassador for the Sport Integrity Global Alliance [SIGA]. She has also served as an athlete mentor for the Youth Sport Trust. (LinkedIn profile, 25 May 2024; lta.org.uk, 19 Jun 2020; bbc.co.uk, 11 Jul 2019) COACHING In 2021 she obtained a Lawn Tennis Association [LTA] core training qualification. (LinkedIn profile, 25 May 2024)