Ken Brooks
Competition | 1994
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Ken started competing in wheelchair sports in 1972 and competed in every national and international competition during his active career. His first year of competition he won medals in table tennis, track, field and slalom at the National Wheelchair Games. Ken was ranked 9th in the world at that time in table tennis in only his first year. Over the course of his career, Ken competed in eleven World Championships.
Ken went on to become the top ranked Quadraplegic Table Tennis player in the world based on his level of play in the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona, Spain. In the 1993 National Championships he won gold in the Teraplegic Open event, class singles and Teams events while taking a bronze in doubles play. He was acknowledged as the Outstanding Table Tennis Player of the games by the AWTTA. Over his career he accrued twenty-three National Championships, medaled in two Paralympics and several Pan American championships including Gold in Halifax in both singles and teams.
Perhaps as impactful as Ken’s performances on the field of competition was his advocacy for wheelchair sports, disabled athletes and equal opportunity. Ken was also recognized for consistently spearheading efforts to raise funds and consciousness for all physically challenged athletes. His efforts included traveling to the New Jersey state capitol in Trenton to lobby the state legislature for a bill that would financially support New Jersey athletes attending the 1988 Paralympics and then oversaw the equitable distribution of those funds.
Ken was a tireless fund-raiser for the New Jersey Wheelchair Athletic Association (NJWAA) and supported efforts such as a Wheel-a-thon, selling tickets to banquets and speaking to various civic organizations and service clubs. He also served as the President of the Wheelchair Sports Council of New Jersey and Treasurer and Board Member of the NJWAA. Ken also represented his passion by serving as a Wheelchair Table Tennis delegate twice at the NWAA Delegate Assembly. On top of all those accomplishments, perhaps his greatest was being one of the original coaches of junior athletes in all sports, enabling youngsters to experience the benefits of competition.
