A Paralympic Legend and Multi-Sport Champion
Growing up in East Texas in the mid-1970s, Randy Snow was a nationally ranked junior tennis player. One day, though, Snow was operating a front-end loader, placing hay onto a trailer, when a half-ton bale accidentally fell and crushed him. He was paralyzed, losing the use of his legs.
While it took some time for Snow to acclimate to his new condition, he soon regained the form that made him an elite athlete.
Making History in Wheelchair Racing
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Snow competed in a historic exhibition event: the 1,500-meter wheelchair race. It marked the first time a Paralympic race was held in front of a major Olympic audience, signaling a new era of inclusion. Snow earned the silver medal, helping to elevate the visibility of Paralympic athletes on a global stage.
Accomplishing Paralympic Tennis Greatness
Snow later turned his full attention to wheelchair tennis, where he became one of the sport’s top wheelchair tennis players. At the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, he captured gold medals in both men’s singles and men’s doubles, securing his status as a global tennis Paralympic legend.
Throughout his career, Snow won 22 major tournament titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Leading by Example on and off the Field
In 1996, Snow was selected to launch the Paralympic Torch Relay from the White House, receiving the flame directly from President Bill Clinton. That year, at the Atlanta Paralympic Games, he competed again—this time in wheelchair basketball, where he earned a bronze medal, demonstrating his remarkable skill as a multi-sport Paralympian.
His final Paralympic appearance came at the 2000 Sydney Games, where he once again competed in wheelchair tennis, continuing to inspire audiences worldwide.
Snow died in 2009 while volunteering at a tennis clinic in El Salvador. He was 50.
Learn more about Paralympic history and Team USA legends whose stories shape the future of sport.
