Greg Slade - "Regardless of where sport takes you, you're going to find a community"
A week ago Greg Slade made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon. It’s an experience he has described as “absolutely terrifying, but fun”.
However he will admit the nerves weren’t as high as when he first competed at grassroots level.
“I still remember my first match I ever played competitively,” he told Every Body Moves. “I think I was more nervous for that than I was playing my first Grand Slam match. I remember being just so so scared.”
But after gaining early matchplay experiences through the LTA’s domestic series of events which are suitable for everyone playing from grassroots level, those nerves settled. And now the self-described “fiercely competitive” future star of the quads division competes on the ITF (International Tennis Federation) wheelchair tennis tour.
However had his mum, and indeed Luke who still coaches him today, not found a way to convince him to head to Sutton and give playing tennis in a wheelchair a go, you may not have seen Greg take his rightful place on a Grand Slam stage.
“So my mum said to me we’re just going to go and have a watch and watch what they are doing and then when we get there Luke just said - Hi Greg, here’s a chair, get in it and so at that point I had no choice and that was the start of it,” he said laughing.
“But obviously as somebody who doesn’t really use a day chair in my day to day life that much I was quite apprehensive about getting into a chair.
“I think it was just because there is still that societal thing about people in wheelchairs and the automatic assumption that they can’t walk at all and perhaps because of that I was afraid of people assuming I was more disabled than I actually am.
“And that was quite a big thing for me in terms of accepting my own disability and understanding that yes I have limitations, but my disability also creates opportunities for me.”
Beginning playing at a fortnightly grassroots session due to having to balance playing sport with schoolwork, Greg has put a lot of time and effort to help him make the jump up to competing on the professional tour. But he still plays at his local club with his family and despite the ambitions he has to compete at other Grand Slams and the Paralympics, there’s also another goal he wants to achieve during his career - getting a win over his dad.
“Tennis runs in my family and really if I’m honest I took it up as a hobby so I could play with them but I’m glad I took the plunge as it’s given me so much. Regardless of where my tennis does take me in the end I’ve made lifelong friends playing sport."
“And regardless of where sport takes you - grassroots or international level - you’re going to find a community that changes your life for the better.”
There are a wide range of opportunities to try adaptive and wheelchair tennis in your local area, follow these links to find out more: