Graduate student Élodie Tessier and several former UTA athletes will compete in the first-ever Paralympic Summer Games hosted in Paris, beginning Wednesday through Sept. 8.
The U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team will feature Rose Hollermann and Josie Aslakson. Tessier, a current Lady Movin’ Mav athlete, will compete with Team Canada.
The U.S. Men’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team features athletes Fabian Romo and Paul Schulte, with Mike Paye as an assistant coach. Jon Rydberg will serve as an assistant coach for the men, women and quad U.S. Wheelchair Tennis teams.
Tessier, a native of Québec City, Canada, is set to make her second Paralympic appearance after debuting in the 2020 Tokyo games. This will be the first international tournament her family is able to attend.
COVID-19 restrictions during the Tokyo games prevented spectators from attending events. With her family traveling from Canada, she said she’ll be holding back tears seeing them in the crowd.
“It’s really special, very unique, I feel because they have been really supportive throughout my career, but in a virtual way,” Tessier said. “Having them here in person, I think it’s going to be very special.”
Hollermann will make her fourth Paralympic appearance after winning gold with Team USA in 2016 and bronze in 2020. Hollermann attended UTA from 2014-2019, where she competed with the Lady Movin’ Mavs. She said the fundamentals she learned remain important in her career, like chair defense, making layups and using her left hand.
“The work ethic and the life of being a student athlete, learning how to balance sports while also balancing something else, is something [that] as an athlete even after college, you’re really grateful that you learned while you were in school,” Hollermann said.
The U.S. team will feature 11 returners and one newcomer who’s been on and off the team since 2018. While it may be their first time at the Paralympics, Hollermann said because wheelchair basketball is a “tight knit community,” she won’t be completely new to Team USA.
Romo will make his Paralympic debut after narrowly missing the cut during the Tokyo games. He attended UTA from 2015-2020, where he helped the Movin’ Mavs win its eighth title in 2017, ending an 11-year drought.
“I’m super excited and nervous,” Romo said. “But I think the excitement will overtake all the nerves.”
The selection process is like no other, Romo said. Around 28 athletes are chosen for tryouts, and the group is then reduced to 16. After another round of cuts, tryouts continue until the final 12-man roster is finalized. It’s a challenging and stressful process, he said.
“I heard my name, and I couldn’t believe it. I went over to the other room, and the previous guys named before me, we were all congratulating each other,” Romo said. “That’s when it hits you. That’s when it hit me. I just thought to myself, ‘This is it, I finally did it.’”
Romo’s parents were the first to find out he made the team, followed by his fiancé. He credits his parents for playing a huge role in his career, taking him to every practice and attending every game.
“I called them first, and tears just came out,” Romo said. “There was just no other way to let everything out but to just cry. That was a very special moment, for sure.”
Making the team is just the start of the journey. Romo “shifts into gear,” putting in extra hours, training and staying disciplined. Romo recalls his first Paralympic tryout where he placed 13 out of 12 in 2020, chosen as an alternate.
The 2020 coaching staff encouraged Romo to keep training. This time around, he used those tryouts as encouragement to show why he deserved a spot on Team USA.
After winning gold in 2016 and 2020, the men’s team has a chance to make history with its third consecutive win.
With many players considering retirement, Romo said there’s no better motivation to earn his first medal and help the veterans go out on top.
Tessier won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Having a taste of gold is familiar, but she said representing Team Canada on the podium is the dream.
In the end, it’s about having fun and living in the moment, Tessier said. After the sudden death of a Canadian teammate and several coaching changes, the team has grown closer.
“I don’t want to worry about all the other factors that are uncontrollable,” Tessier said. “I just want to be in the moment, accept the role that I’ve been given and just play the best I can. Support my teammates the best I can.”
Tessier is proud of her UTA accomplishments and aims to give back to the team while focusing on winning a national championship for her country. Throughout the week, she’s received texts from Lady Movin’ Mavs members, expressing how much they miss each other and offering support.
“I would support any girl that would be in my shoes right now, that would compete for their country,” Tessier said. “I have a good team that’s supporting me.”
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