Growing up, Andrew Lee never thought he would be able to call himself an athlete. The Carlsbad native first tried tennis at a local junior adaptive sports camp as a young teen and was drawn to the individual and 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. He 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. 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.), and he is keenly aware of the influence he’s 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 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. He 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 at 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.”