Peter Berry (basketball)

Last updated
Peter Berry
Personal information
Full namePeter Bram Berry
Born (2001-10-30) October 30, 2001 (age 23) [1]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Education The Emery/Weiner School
University of Alabama [2]
Occupations
  • Wheelchair basketball player
  • social media personality
Years active2011–present
Medal record
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Men's wheelchair basketball
Parapan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Santiago Team

Peter Bram Berry (born October 30, 2001) is an American wheelchair basketball player for the United States men's national wheelchair basketball team and social media personality. At age nine, a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, a paraplegic, and confined to a wheelchair.

Contents

Berry started competing in wheelchair basketball for TIRR Memorial Hermann soon after his accident. In 2019, he accepted an athletic scholarship to play for the University of Alabama's wheelchair basketball team, [a] where he began in 2020. Berry is also known for his social media presence, with over 7,000 followers and 770,000 likes on TikTok. He will represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Early life

Berry was raised in Houston, Texas with his younger brother and sister by parents Joshua and Robin Berry, and is Jewish. [3] When he was nine years old, he and his family were involved in a motor vehicle collision when a distracted driver collided head-on with their vehicle, resulting in the death of his parents, and he and younger brother Aaron becoming paralyzed from the waist down and confined to wheelchairs. [4] After the story was published by several news outlets across the United States, singer Justin Bieber launched the "Show Your Hearts" campaign aimed at raising funds for Berry's family. [5] [6] After his accident, Berry and his two siblings were taken in by their aunt and uncle, and resided in the Bellaire area. He attended the Emery/Weiner School.

Career

Basketball

While recovering from his injury, Berry started competing in wheelchair basketball, where he quickly became one of the best young wheelchair athletes in the United States. [2] He led his TIRR Memorial Hermann Hotwheels team to three national titles and one national softball title. This success led him to receive a scholarship to play division 1 wheelchair basketball at the University of Alabama. In January 2020, he won the inaugural Houston Sports Insperity Inspiration Award. [7]

In 2022, Berry started training for the 2024 Summer Paralympics with his teammates from the University of Alabama. On March 30, 2024, he was named to Team USA's roster to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. [8]

Television

In 2021, he and his brother appeared on an episode of Tamron Hall , to discuss their respective successes in wheelchair basketball. [9]

Social media

In 2022, he posted a video on TikTok of him playing wheelchair basketball against his able bodied friend when he is pushed out of his wheelchair. It went viral, receiving over 3.5 million views and over 630 thousand likes. [10]

Personal life

Over the years, he has become close friends with J. J. Watt. [11] [12] [13]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleRef.
2021 Tamron Hall Show Guest [9]

Awards

YearAwardResultRef.
2020Houston Sports Award – Insperity Inspiration AwardWon [7]

See also

Footnotes

  1. The university's wheelchair basketball team is known as "Roll Tide".

Referencing

  1. "Alabama Adapted Athletics on Instagram: "The Hollister Invitations MVP goes to Peter Berry! Congratulations Peter and Happy Birthday. #RollTide". October 31, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "USA's No. 1 wheelchair basketball recruit signs with Alabama". KHOU. November 13, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  3. "Deadly head-on car crash sends Houston Jewish community into shock". Bleacher Report. July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  4. "Meet Aaron and Peter Berry". 180 Medical. 29 June 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  5. "Berry Children Orphaned: Justin Bieber Spurs Nationwide Movement". ABC News. July 28, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  6. "Justin Bieber Shows His Heart". Young Hollywood. November 14, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Houston Sports Awards Announces Inaugural Insperity Inspiration Award". Houston Sports Awards. December 19, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  8. "Paralympics Games Roster Selected for 2024 U.S.A Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team". nwba.org. March 30, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  9. 1 2 "How Brothers Paralyzed in a Car Crash Became No. 1 Wheelchair Basketball Recruit". Tamron Hall. September 9, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  10. Berry, Peter (May 22, 2022). "He's not ableist I promise..." TikTok . Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  11. "Berry siblings praise Texans star J. J. Watt for special friendship at gala". Culture Map Houston. December 7, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  12. "Lesser-known stories of J. J. Watt's impact on Houston off the field". ESPN. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  13. Davenport, Gary (February 8, 2013). "Why J. J. Watt Should Be Your Favorite NFL Player". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 11, 2022.

Related Research Articles

Randy Snow was the first Paralympian to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the first paralympian to win medals in three different sports: track, basketball and tennis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Ness</span> Australian wheelchair basketball player

Bradley John Ness, OAM is an Australian wheelchair basketballer. He won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing and silver medals at 2004 Athens and 2012 London Paralympics. He was selected as the Australian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. In December 2023, Ness was appointed the Head Coach of the Rollers - Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Serio</span> American wheelchair basketball player

Steven Dillon Serio is a wheelchair basketball player. As a co-captain of the USA Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team, he led the American men to their first Paralympic gold medal since 1988 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games and defended the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He currently plays for the New York Rolling Knicks in the NWBA Championship Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Wheeler</span> American wheelchair basketball player

Stephanie Wheeler is an American wheelchair basketball player who was on two gold medal-winning Paralympic teams. She also played on the gold medal-winning team at the 2007 Para-Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro. She received her degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois and is working on her doctorate in sports education from the University of Alabama. As of 2010 she is head coach of the University of Illinois wheelchair basketball team, and will return to the Paralympic games in Rio in 2016, now as a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alana Nichols</span> U.S. athlete

Alana Jane Nichols is an American Paralympic wheelchair basketball player and alpine skier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Waligura</span> American journalist

Chad Alan Waligura is an American outdoor writer, magazine editor, and professional disabled hunter. It was for his work as a disabled hunter that he was named Buckmasters' 2003 Challenged Hunter of the Year and was chosen by Safari Club International for the Pathfinder Award in 2010.

The Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team is the men's wheelchair basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known as the Rollers. Australia took the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Eveson</span>

Justin Cain Eveson, OAM is an Australian swimmer and wheelchair basketball player who has won Paralympic medals in both sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Norris</span> Australian wheelchair basketball player

Shaun Daryl Norris, OAM is an Australian wheelchair basketball player. He was a member of the Rollers at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, his sixth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jannik Blair</span> Australian wheelchair basketball player

Jannik Blair is a 1 point wheelchair basketball player who has played for the University of Missouri and the National Wheelchair Basketball League Dandenong Rangers. He is a member of the Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team, making his debut in 2009, and was member of the Australian team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in wheelchair basketball. He was a member of the Rollers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, his fourth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreaker (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2013 single by Justin Bieber

"Heartbreaker" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber from his second compilation album, Journals (2013). The song was produced by Bieber, Maejor Ali, T-Minus, and Chef Tone, who served as co-writers with Xavier Smith. Bieber penned the song in 2013 on his Believe Tour, writing it for people going through a heartbreak as he was at the time. After announcing the song on June 3, 2013, the singer shared a preview on July 19. It was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single for the album and the first in Bieber's Music Mondays series on October 7, 2013, through Island Records. An acoustic R&B ballad with elements of pop, it prominently features an emo melody and chords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Murray</span> American wheelchair basketball player

Rebecca Marie Murray is an American wheelchair basketball player and member of the United States women's national wheelchair basketball team. She is a three-time Parapan American Games gold medalist in 2007, 2011 and 2023. In 2010, she won two more gold medals at IWBF World Championship and at U25 World Championship in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy Haizelden</span> British wheelchair basketball player

Joy Haizelden is a 2.5 point British wheelchair basketball player who was the youngest player to represent Great Britain at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto. She also went to Paris to compete at the 2024 Paralympics.

Richard "Bear" Peter is a Canadian First Nations wheelchair basketball and para-badminton player. Peter was born in Duncan, British Columbia, and currently resides in Vancouver. When Richard was four years old, he was injured in a bus accident, leaving him in a wheelchair ever since. He began playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 15 when he was inspired by a team that came to his school and introduced him to wheelchair sports. Since then, Peter has competed in the 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games, winning the gold medal for wheelchair basketball for three of those years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loren Gray</span> American social media personality (born 2002)

Loren Gray Beech is an American social media personality, singer, and songwriter. Gray rose to prominence in 2015 on the video sharing app, Musical.ly. In 2018, she released her debut single "My Story" under Virgin Records, whom she was signed to until February 2021, when she became an independent artist. Forbes reported she earned $2.4 million in 2019, making her the fourth highest-earning TikTok star. In 2020, Billboard ranked her among TikTok's top 10 music influencers with over 50 million followers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Gross</span> German wheelchair basketball player

Barbara Gross is a 4.5 point wheelchair basketball player, who played for the German national team at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, winning silver. President Joachim Gauck awarded the team Germany's highest sporting honour, the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Hollermann</span> American wheelchair basketball player

Rose Marie Hollermann is an American 3.5 point wheelchair basketball player and member of the United States women's national wheelchair basketball team. She who won gold at the 2011, and 2019 Women's U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship, the 2011, 2015 and 2023 Parapan American Games, and the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She also won bronze at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yummy (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2020 single by Justin Bieber

"Yummy" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released through Def Jam Recordings, as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Changes, on January 3, 2020. The song is Bieber's first solo single to be released in almost four years, following "Company", a song from his fourth studio album, Purpose (2015), but the song was released as a single in 2016. Bieber joined the video-sharing social networking service TikTok on the day of the song's release.

Jeromie Alex Meyer II is an American wheelchair basketball player and a member of the United States men's national wheelchair basketball team. He represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Chelsea Stein is an American wheelchair racer. As of 2024, she is the top ranked woman in the T53 100m.