82R7702 MGR-D
By: Gooden H.R. No. 737
R E S O L U T I O N
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 pro 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 U.S. 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
U.S. 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, Inc., 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 U.S. 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 House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2011, as Randy Snow Day and
pay tribute to the life and legacy of this remarkable Texan.