Lynn Bender: Champion of Wheelchair Tennis

Lynn Bender of Zeeland, Mich., received the Brad Parks Award at the 2025 USTA Annual Meeting & Conference in Carlsbad, Calif. Established in 2002 by the USTA and the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the award honors Brad Parks, the founder of wheelchair tennis and a 2010 Hall of Famer. Presented annually, it recognizes individuals or groups involved in playing, coaching, organizing, sponsoring, or promoting wheelchair tennis, celebrating those who develop programs that expand opportunities for wheelchair players at the section or national level.

A lifelong tennis player, Bender has dedicated her career to making the sport accessible to athletes with disabilities. Her deep involvement in wheelchair tennis began after marrying her husband, Curt, a longtime wheelchair tennis athlete. For over 25 years, she has worked as a community-based Recreational Therapist and has served on the USTA National Wheelchair Tennis Committee for a decade. She is also a certified USPTA teaching professional and currently chairs the USTA Midwest Section Wheelchair Committee.

Bender has taken on multiple coaching roles, including head coach of the Holland Christian High School girls’ tennis team, collegiate wheelchair tennis coach, and instructor at the annual USTA/ITF Cruyff Foundation camps, where she teaches tennis to kids from around the world. Beyond coaching, she has captained a USTA League team for years, co-founded the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association, and directed USTA and ITF tournaments in Grand Rapids.

Her passion for the sport is best exemplified through her impact on players. One example was when she introduced a 15-year-old girl from Toledo to wheelchair tennis, transforming her life in just three weeks. The girl went from trying tennis for the first time to attending the Juniors Camp in Alabama and now plays for her high school tennis team. While Lynn’s dedication opened the door, it was funding from the Foundation that made her journey possible.

Lynn Bender’s unwavering commitment to wheelchair tennis continues to inspire, break barriers, and create opportunities for athletes with disabilities.