Paul Schulte '05
When Paul Schulte started playing wheelchair basketball at age 14, he was no stranger to competitive sport. He had been playing basketball recreationally with friends for years. Except Paul was the only one playing in a wheelchair. The rest were hustling up and down the court and taking shots with two legs.
Sure it was difficult for him to keep up, but Paul saw it as a challenge, rather then an obstacle. Today he is an international star in the sport. His global achievements on the court have included Gold Medals as a member of the USA Men’s Team in the 1998 and 2002 Gold Cup (World Championships), Silver Medal in the 2006 Gold Cup, Bronze Medal in the 2000 Paralympics, and selected Tournament MVP of the 2002 World Championships.
When he’s not traveling the globe representing the United States, Paul works for sports chair manufacturer Top End as an engineer and plays wheelchair basketball for the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks. Paul even has his own signature wheelchair, the Top End Paul Schulte Signature Series Basketball Chair. He completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2005. Paul also played on the UT Arlington Movin’ Mavs Wheelchair Basketball team from 1997-2002. In his senior year, UT Arlington won the National Intercollegiate Championship. For his outstanding efforts, along with his academic achievements, he was named National Intercollegiate MVP, First Team All-American, Academic All-American and a co-winner of the Sportsmanship Award.
Paul’s next big goal is to pursue a gold medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China, as a member of the USA Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team. Paul is trying to balance a career in sports with a career in engineering, but given his remarkable achievements to date, if anybody can excel in two careers at the same time, he can.
Want to sponsor Paul or follow his training for the 2008 Paralympics? Visit his website at www.paulschulte.com
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