More than 20 tennis enthusiasts with amputations and others with physical challenges came out to play. Photograph courtesy of OPAF.
Orthotic Prosthetic Technologies (OPT), Austin, Texas, recently hosted its second annual First Volley Adaptive Tennis Clinic for area patients in collaboration with OPAF and the First Clinics. Participants served and volleyed at the city’s Circle C Tennis Club on October 16, 2010.
More than 20 tennis enthusiasts with amputations and others with physical challenges attended the clinic. First Volley instructors Darren Kindred and Stefan Blair put clinic attendees through their paces with the help of Wimbledon and French Open champion Dennis Ralston. Ralston became a transtibial amputee in June as the result of multiple post-surgical staph infections that spread, causing osteomyelitis. He received his first prosthesis in August 2010.
Dustin Strelsky, a wheelchair participant enthused, “Because I came here, I am going to start playing tennis a lot more!”
OPT plans further First Clinics in golf, and a third annual adaptive clinic for tennis in 2011.
