Growing up, Andrew Lee never thought he would be able to call himself an athlete. The Carlsbad native first tried out tennis at a local junior adaptive sports camp as a young teen, and was drawn to the individual, competitive nature of the sport. “I liked hitting,” said Andrew. “I just enjoy being able to go by myself and enjoy hitting the ball!” This joy of competition got Andrew started, and through adaptive tennis, the 23-year-old has enjoyed success at the high school and college level. With a continued love for the sport, Andrew now aspires to play for the US Paralympic team and is on the road to success.

Like his father Jeffrey, Andrew has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (O.I.,) however like the rest of his family, it doesn’t stop him from being active. Andrew was looking for a sport he could play in 2014 as at that time he was the only one of his siblings that wasn’t doing anything active. “I wanted to play sports,” said Andrew. “I tried to do basketball at first, but then I found tennis!” Andrew played his first tennis tournament in 2014 and since then has entered and been successful in numerous competitions. Andrew cites some of his favorite tournaments as the Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championships, as well as Indian Wells. Beyond his own success, Andrew has also played a key role in inspiring his father, Jeffrey Lee to play wheelchair tennis as well.

Andrew appreciates the influence he had on his father, saying “People with disabilities sometimes don’t know about the sports that they can do. It’s kind of cool that when I found tennis, my dad realized it’s something he can do that he likes.” Andrew is cognizant of fact that wheelchair tennis is still growing, and improvements in both access and awareness for players with disabilities are needed to increase participation in adaptive sports.

Andrew and his father have dabbled in doubles tennis, but it’s clear that Andrew’s passion lies in singles, and that is where his focus lies. Andrew is currently a member of the San Diego State University Wheelchair Tennis team, where he has had great impact. In 2022, Andrew won an individual singles championship at the Collegiate Wheelchair National Championship in Florida. “It’s been tough, but tennis has led me to do a lot of things,” said Andrew. “When I was younger, I never thought I could play a high school sport. Tennis led me to play at high school, and ultimately at the college level!”

Andrew has his sights set extremely high, saying “My ultimate goal is to make it to the Paralympics and represent the US. I also want to go to the Baton Rouge Tournament (The Cajun Classic,) that happens in March, and the Salem Tournament in August!” The USA Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Team is in sight for Andrew, considering his achievements as part of SDSU. More than that, Andrew’s steadfast passion for the sport shines through clearly. “You can play tennis until you’re dead basically,” laughed Andrew. “No matter your skill level, how old you are, or whether you’re in a wheelchair or not. You can play tennis your entire life, and still be competitive.”

Still in college and enjoying tennis to the highest level, his path towards the U.S. Paralympic team is by no means assured or easy. However, with his drive and enthusiasm, Andrew Lee has everything it takes to play, enjoy and be competitive in the sport he loves.  

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