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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Thomas Randall Snow of Terrell experienced a |
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life-changing accident while still a teen, yet he went on to become |
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a world-renowned athlete who inspired countless admirers across the |
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Lone Star State and beyond; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on May 24, 1959, Randy Snow was a state-ranked |
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tennis player dreaming of a pro career when he was paralyzed at the |
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age of 16 in a farm accident; he graduated from Terrell High School |
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and enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, establishing a |
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wheelchair basketball team there, and he later transferred to The |
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University of Texas at Arlington and participated in the school's |
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wheelchair athletic program, ultimately earning a bachelor's |
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degree in 1986; he subsequently received a master's degree in |
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psychology from the University of Phoenix; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Snow competed in wheelchair tennis, track, and |
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basketball, with an impressive record of success in all three |
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sports; after receiving a standing ovation and a silver medal for |
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his performance in the men's 1500-meter wheelchair exhibition race |
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at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he helped focus attention on disabled |
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athletes and assisted in the launch of the Paralympic Games; he was |
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a 16-time U.S. Open wheelchair champion between 1981 and 1993, won |
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gold medals in the 1992 Summer Paralympic Games in Barcelona for |
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singles and doubles tennis, and was a member of the bronze |
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medal-winning wheelchair basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta Games; |
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moreover, he was named outstanding athlete at the National |
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Wheelchair Games and became the only participant to medal in three |
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different sports in the summer Paralympic Games; and |
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WHEREAS, This notable competitor was inducted into the Texas |
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Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001 and the National Spinal Cord Injury Hall |
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of Fame in 2005, and he was the first paralympian inducted into the |
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U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004; and |
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WHEREAS, Also a leader in business and motivational speaking |
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and the author of three books, Mr. Snow conducted the Randy Snow |
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Wheelchair Tennis Camps and developed the United States |
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Professional Tennis Association wheelchair certification; he had a |
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20-year career with Sunrise Medical, a company that makes |
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wheelchairs and other devices, and he founded his own venture, NO |
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XQs, Inc., in 1999; in addition, he served on the board of the |
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Terrell Friends of the Library and was active in Wheels for |
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Humanity, Turning Point Nation, and other groups that encourage and |
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support individuals with disabilities; he was leading a wheelchair |
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tennis camp in El Salvador for the International Tennis Federation |
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at the time of his death on November 19, 2009, and he was |
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posthumously inducted into the U.S. Professional Tennis |
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Association Hall of Fame the following year; and |
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WHEREAS, In conjunction with the annual Kaufman County Day |
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festivities at the State Capitol, the date of March 7, 2011, is also |
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being recognized as Randy Snow Day in memory of this longtime county |
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resident and esteemed Texan; and |
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WHEREAS, Refusing to let his disability define him, Randy |
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Snow brought to all of his endeavors great skill, optimism, and |
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determination, and his achievements have touched more lives than he |
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could ever know; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2011, as Randy Snow Day and |
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pay tribute to the life and legacy of this remarkable Texan. |