SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 412

In Memory

of

Thomas Randall Snow

WHEREAS, Thomas Randall Snow of Terrell experienced a life-changing accident while still a teen, yet he went on to become a world-renowned athlete who inspired countless admirers across the Lone Star State and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Born on May 24, 1959, Randy Snow was a state-ranked tennis player dreaming of a professional career when he was paralyzed at the age of 16 in a farm accident; he graduated from Terrell High School and enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, establishing a wheelchair basketball team there, and he later transferred to The University of Texas at Arlington and participated in the school's wheelchair athletic program, ultimately earning a bachelor's degree in 1986; he subsequently received a master's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Snow competed in wheelchair tennis, track, and basketball, with an impressive record of success in all three sports; after receiving a standing ovation and a silver medal for his performance in the men's 1500-meter wheelchair exhibition race at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he helped focus attention on disabled athletes and assisted in the launch of the Paralympic Games; he was a 16-time United States Open wheelchair champion between 1981 and 1993, won gold medals in the 1992 Summer Paralympic Games in Barcelona for singles and doubles tennis, and was a member of the bronze-medal-winning wheelchair basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta Games; moreover, he was named outstanding athlete at the National Wheelchair Games and became the only participant to medal in three different sports in the summer Paralympic Games; and

WHEREAS, This notable competitor was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001 and the National Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame in 2005, and he was the first paralympian inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Also a leader in business and motivational speaking and the author of three books, Mr. Snow conducted the Randy Snow Wheelchair Tennis Camps and developed the United States Professional Tennis Association wheelchair certification; he had a 20-year career with Sunrise Medical, a company that makes wheelchairs and other devices, and he founded his own venture, NO XQs, Incorporated, in 1999; in addition, he served on the board of the Terrell Friends of the Library and was active in Wheels for Humanity, Turning Point Nation, and other groups that encourage and support individuals with disabilities; he was leading a wheelchair tennis camp in El Salvador for the International Tennis Federation at the time of his death on November 19, 2009, and he was posthumously inducted into the United States Professional Tennis Association Hall of Fame the following year; and

WHEREAS, In conjunction with the annual Kaufman County Day festivities at the State Capitol, the date of March 7, 2011, is also being recognized as Randy Snow Day in memory of this longtime county resident and esteemed Texan; and

WHEREAS, Refusing to let his disability define him, Randy Snow brought to all of his endeavors great skill, optimism, and determination, and his achievements have touched more lives than he could ever know; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd Legislature, hereby recognize March 7, 2011, as Randy Snow Day and pay tribute to the life and legacy of this remarkable Texan; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of his life, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Thomas Randall Snow.

Deuell

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 7, 2011, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate