Jermell Pennie drives down the court dribbling the ball, he throws a no-look pass to a teammate, who takes a quick shot and scores. The intensity and speed of the play causes Pennie to collide with an opposing player. They both fall to the floor. Pennie pushes up off the ground and maneuvers his way down the court. He gazes up at the jumbotron in the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece admiring the play he and his teammate just made.

“It's a feeling that’s unreal,” Pennie says about competing in the Paralympics, adding “it's a once in a lifetime experience for sure.”

For two weeks in September 2004, alongside 3,807 other elite athletes, Pennie competed in the 12th Summer Paralympic Games representing Team USA in Wheelchair Basketball. ”It was just breathtaking to experience,” he said as he reflected on the opening ceremony of the games “Here's USA, USA, that feeling of going through the stadium, it's something that I really can't describe.”

Jermell Pennie with Team USA

Wheelchair basketball is a dynamic and compelling sport that challenges traditional perceptions of athleticism, showcasing the remarkable abilities of individuals with disabilities. In this fast-paced game, athletes maneuver their sportschairs with precision and agility, displaying extraordinary skill, strength, and strategic thinking. Despite the unique challenges they face, wheelchair basketball players are undeniably elite athletes, competing at the highest levels with passion and determination.

Beyond the evident physical demands of navigating a basketball court in a wheelchair, these athletes showcase exceptional adaptability, teamwork, and resilience. From being caught in crossfire as a kid, to being born with polio, and even to a wounded veteran, wheelchair basketball is a sport that ignites the competitive nature of athletes, builds camaraderie and lasting friendships. Three atheltes prove that you can join this sport and compete at any age and stage in life.

Pennie, a Texas native, grew up in a rough neighborhood in Houston.

At 5-years-old Pennie was caught in crossfire, sustaining three gunshot wounds to his body. “I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Pennie said about the day, “I ended up surviving and becoming a paraplegic.”

Having no family to care for him, Pennie began living at Hughen Center in Port Arthur, Texas, a home dedicated for people with disabilities.

a young Jermell Pennie

From a young age, Pennie’s identity was tied into basketball. “I was that one kid that just carried around a basketball,” Pennie said, “anytime you saw me, I had a basketball in my hand.”

Reminiscing on his childhood, Pennie remarked “I was a huge fan of watching the NBA, of Michael Jordan.”

Jordan inspired Pennie to practice mimicking his iconic fadeaway shot “I would just practice that over and over, in my chair” Pennie recalled. He continued sharing about his earliest basketball memories, and the players that inspired him, “they were able bodied and I really didn't know that there was a difference, I just had a basketball and was just thinking about basketball players that I knew from the NBA and practicing their moves.”

At 16-years-old, Pennie was formally introduced to adaptive sports.

The legendary Randy Snow visited the Hughen Center, this was Pennie’s first experience of being around a Paralympic Athlete.

Snow was able to help Pennie get in a sports chair. These chairs are a snug fit to the body, lack armrests, and have a slight camber, all of which help the athlete maneuver swiftly.

Meeting Snow was a game-changer for Pennie.

Shortly after his formal introduction to the sport, and acquiring the proper equipment, Pennie was recruited to play in college at University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. From there his career would take off.

From 1999 to 2016, Pennie competed at the highest level in his sport playing with Team USA and the Dallas Mavericks wheelchair basketball affiliate.

Proper equipment is a crucial component of adaptive sports and makes all the difference for these athletes.

In the heart of Los Angeles, Max Amenero quickly learned how proper equipment and resources can be life changing. Amenero's journey from his roots in Peru to the courts of California is not just a story of resilience but also one of passion, competition, and the enduring power of friendship.

Amenero's journey into the world of wheelchair basketball began unexpectedly. "I went to a high school that is a special school for handicap," he recalls. "When I first got here from Peru, I didn't know anything about wheelchair basketball."

Amenero's move to the United States at the age of 16 marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in his life. Leaving behind his homeland, he embraced the challenges of a new culture, language, and a life-changing discovery – wheelchair basketball.

"At the beginning, I felt kind of weird because I never attended a [school for people with disabilities] before," Max reflects on his initial experiences in Los Angeles. "But when I went to high school here, it was kind of hard for me to walk from one classroom to another or to go up to the second floor to look for a classroom." That's when Max was introduced to a school specifically tailored to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities, and was introduced to the world of wheelchair basketball.

At 7-months-old, Amenero was struck with polio.

As his muscles weakened over time, Amenero made a conscious decision to transition to a wheelchair full-time, leveraging the accessibility provided in the United States to ensure his mobility and safety. "I only use a wheelchair for the last 20 years. I stopped using my crutches," he explains.

It was a pivotal choice that further paved the way for his deep involvement in the world of adaptive sports.

"I like sports. I like competition. I like everything that has to deal with challenge," Amenero emphasizes.

His love for wheelchair basketball evolved from a mere discovery at school to a lifelong passion. "After a while, I decided I like to play, but I like coaching more. So I've been coaching for probably the last 20 years, probably more. This is what I enjoy the most."

As both a player and a coach, Max has fostered a unique bond with his teammates. "Most of these players on my team, they're my friends. I have known them for a long time," he emphasizes. Balancing the roles of coach and friend poses a challenge, as Max navigates the delicate line between pushing his players to excel and maintaining the camaraderie essential to their success.

Max Amanero with his Team

"You have to be at the borderline where you say they're my friends and my players as well," Max admits. "You have to decide. You can get too tough on them, and then you can be too weak. You have to find the middle ground where you're going to do your job, and at the same time, you're going to make sure your friendship is not going to be affected by this. That's probably the biggest challenge for me."

Comradery, community, and friendship are a driving force in the wheelchair basketball world.

Charles Armstead on a tour with the Army

A veteran of three tours in Iraq, Sergeant First Class Charles Armstead’s journey from the battlegrounds to the basketball court entails recovery, camaraderie, and the pursuit of athletic excellence.

Armstead's entry into wheelchair basketball came later than most. "I was 32 when I got injured," he shares, reflecting on the unique challenges of starting in the sport later in life. His injury occurred during his third tour in Iraq in 2009, where he endured multiple gunshot wounds during a compromised mission.

"I found the sport at rehab actually," Armstead recounts, reflecting on his time at the Brooke Army Medical Centre in San Antonio.

"They presented to me wheelchair basketball, and some other stuff, and I kind of resented it at first because I was able-bodied. I used to play basketball, but it seemed like now I don't want to get in the chair and play basketball." Despite his initial reluctance, the introduction to wheelchair basketball would mark the beginning of a profound chapter in his life.

"We just started learning the game because I didn't even know it existed," he admits, reflecting on the transformative nature of his newfound passion.

Armstead channeled this passion with his drive and competitive nature to take it to the highest level he could. "I played on the Division One level, the highest level here in the States."

"I think that's kind of the stigma, like sometimes, when people see us play, it's not a real big deal because they don't view us as athletes," he observes.

Sgt. 1st Class Charles Armstead playing for his Army Veteran Team

Armstead emphasizes that wheelchair athletes are just as competitive, driven, and committed as their able-bodied counterparts. "We compete, and we're doing everything training, we're doing all the stuff that everybody else is doing. We just do it in a chair. That's it, the only difference," he asserts.

Today Armstead is still playing the sport, but has stepped down to the division three level as he recognises that he is getting older, but still enjoys competing and the community he has built in the sport.

The veteran community within wheelchair basketball is a strong one which Amstead emphasized. “It's still a brotherhood, even with this adaptive sports stuff, with the other veterans it just becomes a brotherhood.” The bond and understanding shared by Armstead and other veterans, builds a unique new friendship. “We can kind of relate on two different levels now,” Amstead says, adding “between basketball and the military, no matter what branch you’re in, we’re there for each other.”

Continuing to play the sport allows Armstad to still travel, compete, and see old friends, “we see we see each other all the time and all these different tournaments,” Armstead says, adding “you got veterans on almost all of these teams throughout the country.”

The veteran vein in the sport has propelled Armstead in his own advocacy pursuits.

Charles Armstead with his Team

Armstead is heavily involved in helping wheelchair basketball get its proper recognition as a competitive sport. "It's kind of hard to push it here in the States because a lot of people don't know, don't understand, like, hey, they're athletes." He emphasizes how advocacy and awareness is essential for athletes within adaptive sports.

“We started doing veterans camps in UT Arlington,” Armstead shared, adding “we're at these camps, we're meeting all these veterans that are in the same situations we understand.”

Wheelchair basketball offers the opportunity for a unique relationship to be formed, “We're all still competitors in some kind of some kind of way, and we just we all become bonded,” Amstead said.

It was at one of these camps at UT Arlington where the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks started showing up that Armstead and Pennie’s paths crossed.

Charles Armstead and Jermell Pennie

“[The Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks] would just jump in and play pickup games with us,” Armstead said, while recalling how he and Pennie met. “We’re playing pickup games and we just kind of hit it off.”

Pennie, Amanero, and Armstead have all come into unique situations with the sport and advocacy. Both Amrstead and Amanero are still playing the sport, traveling around the country for tournaments and competing. Pennie’s playing career commenced in 2016, but he hasn’t totally stepped away from the sport. Once again joining the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks, Pennie has recently entered into the world of full time coaching leading the team he used to play for.