Paul Schulte

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball
Residence: Bradenton, FL

When Paul Schulte started playing wheelchair basketball at age 14, he was no stranger to competitive sport. He had been playing basketball recreationally with friends for years, except Paul was the only one playing in a wheelchair. The rest of the players were hustling up and down the court and taking shots with two legs. Playing basketball with able body individuals was difficult to keep up, but Paul saw it as a challenge rather then an obstacle.

Paul received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2005. During his college years, he also played on the U.T. Arlington Wheelchair Basketball team from 1997-2002. In his senior year, UT Arlington won the National Intercollegiate Championship. For his outstanding efforts, along with his academic achievements, he was named National Intercollegiate MVP, First Team All-American, Academic All-American and a co-winner of the Sportsmanship Award.

Today, Paul is an international star in the sport. His global achievements on the court have included Gold Medals as a member of the USA Men’s Team in the 1998 and 2002 Gold Cup (World Championships), Silver Medal in the 2006 Gold Cup, Bronze Medal in the 2000 Paralympics, and selected Tournament MVP of the 2002 World Championships.

His next big goal is the 2007 National Wheelchair Basketball Association Championships.

When Paul is not traveling the globe representing the United States, he works for Top End, which is a sports chair manufacturer, as an engineer and plays basketball for the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks. Given Paul’s remarkable achievements to date, if anybody can excel in two careers at the same time, he can.

Working with U.S. Paralympics® founding sponsor, The Hartford, Paul is helping to raise public awareness of what people with a physical disability can achieve in all aspects of life.