Ben Weekes
| File:290212 - Ben Weekes - 3b - 2012 Team processing.jpg
2012 Australian Paralympic Team portrait of Weekes
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australia |
| Born | 20 September 1984 |
| Website | www |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Tennis |
Ben Weekes (born 20 September 1984) is an Australian wheelchair tennis player. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in wheelchair tennis men's doubles where he is scheduled to be partnered with Adam Kellerman.
Personal
Weekes was born on 20 September 1984 in Strathfield, New South Wales.[1][2] He has an identical twin brother, and two other brothers.[1] He is an incomplete paraplegic as a result of a blood clot forming in his spine when he was thirteen years old.[1][3] He is a composer and pianist, having received formal training in this area.[1][3] His music has been recorded and he has played at the BarMe Cabaret Bar, Angel Place and the Sydney Opera House.[1][3] Other sports he participates in are swimming and basketball.[1]
Tennis
Weekes is a wheelchair tennis player.[1][4] When playing, he follows the same rules as his able-bodied counterparts except the ball is allowed to bounce twice.[5][6] He became interested in the sport after watching David Hall play it at the 2000 Summer Paralympics,[1][3] and would go on to practice regularly with Hall, until Hall retired from the sport in 2006.[3] He has been coached by Kathy Fahim.[3]
Weekes first represented Australia in 2002.[1] That year, he competed in the Junior World Cup where he finished second.[1] At the 2004 World Cup, his team finished second.[1] He competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. He won his first round match,[1] and was knocked out in the second round.[1][2]
Weekes competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, playing doubles with Michael Dobbie.[1][2][4] Going into the 2008 Games, he practised twice a day on court, six times a week.[3] He was primarily being sponsored by Tennis Australia who provided him with A$15,000 a year.[3]
In 2008, Weekes played some doubles matches with Adam Kellerman.[7] At the 2011 South African Open, he made the finals.[1] He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in tennis.[2][5][7] In the doubles event, he is due to be partnered by Adam Kellerman.[6][7] The Games will be his third.[2][8] His national team coach is Greg Crump.[2]
References
.svg){kind=logo}
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- EngvarB from August 2013
- Use dmy dates from August 2013
- Pages with broken file links
- Living people
- Australian male tennis players
- Paralympic wheelchair tennis players of Australia
- 1984 births
- Wheelchair category Paralympic competitors
- People with paraplegia
- Wheelchair tennis players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
