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Karin Korb -- Wheelchair Tennis Champ of the Year

By Kristen Daley

Karin Korb didn’t pick up a tennis racquet until she was 27 years old. Yet, a year later, she was among the top four women wheelchair tennis players in the world and playing in the World Team Cup, the Fed Cup of wheelchair tennis.

When you see the energy and determination that Korb, 37, radiates, it’s not surprising that she made it happen. “I’ve always just had a passion for sport,” she says. She was a gymnast and aerobics instructor, among other things, before a fall while vaulting left her paralyzed at age 17. Ten years after the accident, Korb found herself looking for a sport to provide a new outlet for cardiovascular exercise. An able-bodied friend introduced her to tennis. “My entire world changed,” she says.

“Karin brings a lot of professionalism, a lot of enthusiasm, boundless energy and a big heart,” says Dan James, product manager of USA Tennis Wheelchair High Performance. “You put those things together and you have someone who is going to move the meter in our sport.”

Korb has a graduate degree in sports management from Georgia State, and she now serves as a program development manager with BlazeSports America, a comprehensive sports and fitness program for individuals with physical disabilities. And while Korb is modest about her accomplishments, those who know and work with her are quick to sing her praises. “You’re not going to find a player with a work ethic like Karin’s,” says her coach, Kari Yerg.

Adds James, “I truly believe Karin doesn’t recognize how amazing she is.”

Karin Korb’s tips for success

• Look at each day as a whole new adventure.
• Constantly challenge and push yourself, and make an effort to get out of your “comfort zone.”
• Stay positive; forgive yourself your mistakes and move on.

See all articles by Kristen Daley

About the Author

Kristen Daley  is a contributing editor for RSI magazine.

From the November 2005 issue
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