Patty Rollison
Patty Rollison, age 37, was in an auto accident at age 19 which left her paraplegic. After undergoing rehabilitation, she was introduced to the world of wheelchair sports.
Patty has been playing wheelchair tennis since she was 24 and continues to be a strong player on the NEC Tour. She has represented the USA at the "World Team Cup" on many occasions, assisting them to victory in Nottingham, Great Britain in 1994 and to the semi-finals in both 1993 and 1992. She is ranked #1 in the USA and #5 in the World for the last two years.
In 1990, Patty was honored as the "Most Improved Player" at the Farwest Championships in Reno and was named the nation's "Most Improved Player" at the US Open in 1990 and 1993.
Patty is one of the world's best players to be invited to participate in the Lipton International Players Championships in 1991, 1993-1995, and 1997. This is the only major international tennis tournament that features wheelchair tennis, playing alongside such professional stars as Steffi Graf and Pete Sampras. She has also been invited to participate in the NEC Masters held in the Netherlands in 1994 and 1996-1997, which is also a top eight "Invitation Only Tournament".
Wheelchair basketball is a hobby for Patty. She has played with the Silver State High Rollers, a mens basketball team, for several years. In 1991, she brought home a bronze medal as a member of the USA Women's Basketball Team at the Stoke-Mandeville Games in England.
Off the court, she has become a leader in the wheelchair sports movement in her home state of Nevada. She enjoys working with Bonnie Sue Hickson, RN, Director and Founder of Northern Nevada/Tahoe Wheelchair Tennis Foundation, as an active member, in helping plan the "Farwest Regional Wheelchair Tennis Championship", which returns to Reno, NV every June and the "Tahoe/Donner International Championship", which is every October in Truckee, CA. In recognition of her accomplishments both on and off the court, Rollison was the first recipient of the "High Sierra Award" from the Northern Nevada/Tahoe Wheelchair Tennis Foundation. She has also been certified sa a Professional-2 Tennis Teaching Instructor, one of the first women in wheelchairs, by the US Professional Tennis Association.
Of other interest, the summer of 1998 she traveled through Washington and California to assist and instruct water-ski camps. In 1989 and 1990, she was the tennis instructor for Independence through athletics, a junior sports camp in California. She has attended several classes at Chico State University, talking to students about her life. In 1994 she received a 2nd Place Red Ribbon for her "Remembrance Quilt" at the Nevada State Fair.
We always look forward to when Patty visits Medtech Services. We are proud of her accomplishments and enjoy her lively spirit.