Special Reports

Wheelchair Tennis Pro Goes For The Gold

Paul Moran Also Teaches Able-Bodied Tennis Players

CHICAGO (CBS) ― The 2008 Summer Olympics are history, but the Paralympics are about to begin.

This Saturday through Sept. 17 in Beijing, athletes with disabilities will go for the gold. And as CBS 2 Disabilities Reporter Jim Mullen tells us, tennis pro Paul Moran is ready to give it a swing.

Moran lost a leg when he was hit by a trolley car in college. Still, he competes internationally in sports.

The Beijing Paralympics are his fifth, and his first in his new fascination of wheelchair tennis.

"Volleyball in Barcelona, volleyball in Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and now Beijing," Moran said.

Moran also teaches tennis to able-bodied players, and he says his disability can actually be an advantage.

"I have a good rapport with the kids," Moran said. "They give me a little respect off the bat, because they're amazed at what I can do."

When Steve Albrecht signed his daughter Katie up for lessons, he did not tell her Moran, his frequent tennis partner, was in a wheelchair.

"I was looking for someone who had a personality that would resonate with her," Albrecht said. "Paul was on the short list."

Of Moran's disability, Katie Albrecht said: "It doesn't matter. (If Moran were not disabled), the lessons would be the same; just as fun, except he'd be a lot taller than me."

Moran's success in sports reflects his outlook on life.

"I like surprising people who think you can't do something, then you do it," Moran said.

Moran said he will be pleasantly surprised if he wins big in Beijing.

"If we end up in contention for a medal, that will be way beyond my dreams," Moran said. "I'm just going to try to stay positive."

Moran is one of several Paralympians from Chicago. He worked with the Chicago Rehabilitation Institute to develop his skills. For more about the Rehabilitation Institute, click here.

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