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for greater competition and found it in wheelchair racing, but he kept coming back to tennis, his great love. "Wherever I raced I would always take a tennis racket with me just in case there was a court nearby where I could have a hit," he said. Eventually he found a worthy adversary in Randy Snow and the two men dominated wheelchair tennis through the '80s. Wheelchair tennis was one of the demonstration sports at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics and in 1992 it was officially included in the Barcelona Games programme, where the coach of Parks and Snow managed to persuade the two rivals to play together for the first time in doubles. Needless to say the dream team won gold before what was then the biggest crowd ever to attend a wheelchair tennis match. "Years later I ran into that guy from the banquet and we became quite good friends," said Parks. "In fact, he would call me up and ask for advice — and, I'm glad to say, he admitted he was wrong." ITFWORLD SPRING 2016 17 www.itftennis.com "I remember looking out that window and seeing everyone in tennis gear and sports chairs, and I thought to myself, 'I'm sorry, but this is tennis.'" - Brad Parks Parks leading an early wheelchair tennis clinic in the 1980s With his family at his Hall of Fame induction in 2010 With Jack Kramer in 1984 In action at the 1992 Paralympics Winning the 1992 US Open doubles title with Rick Slaughter In Australia in 1983 with Tony R oche, left, and John Newcombe, right

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