scared anymore of the what ifs in life . It ’ s taught me to embrace them and know that it ’ s all for a reason .
AfA : Congratulations on being part of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in August . When did you first decide to become a Paralympic athlete ?
Tara : I probably wanted to be a Paralympian from the first time I picked up a tennis racket . I ’ d heard of the Paralympics before that but never thought much about it . I did compete for the U . S . in handcycling after I was hurt but even then , I never considered the Paralympics . It wasn ’ t until I moved to Canada and started playing tennis . I don ’ t know why I necessarily thought that , because I wasn ’ t great at tennis , but I kept working at it and was making progress . It wasn ’ t until I started playing basketball though that I thought it was a very viable thing .
AfA : What is life as a Paralympic athlete like ? Can you walk us through a typical day of training leading up to the Paralympic Games ? Are there any significant moments or achievements that stand out in your mind ?
Tara : We train hard for about ten months out of the year , depending on where we live and how many majors we have that year . Things for me have changed a bit , being that I ’ m a more experienced athlete . Currently I ’ m training for Paris 2024 , which is the next Paralympics and I need to be aware of my longevity . Instead of being on court five to six days a week like I was prior to Tokyo I am now on court three to four days a week with three lifts per week . On the days I ’ m not on court I try to do more body work and watch game film . I ’ m still learning but it doesn ’ t take a toll on my body . We as a team have done some amazing things but I ’ d say the ones that stand out in my mind are the ones where we are playing as one . Even in those moments where we ’ re losing , I always walk away feeling great inside and proud when we ’ re playing as a team .
AfA : Besides wheelchair basketball , what other adaptive sports do you enjoy ?
Tara : I really do have fun playing tennis and it ’ s come up a lot lately , which makes me want to get back on court . I also enjoy riding my adaptive mountain bike . I ’ ve been sitskiing but haven ’ t done it for a few seasons because I didn ’ t want to get hurt before Tokyo .
AfA : Tell us about why and how your company , Tara Llanes Industries came to be .
52 Accessibilty for All