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
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 7, 2011, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate