Our Mission

By empowering and promoting wheelchair excellence and inclusivity nationwide, we intend to champion the growth of wheelchair pickleball through clinics, exhibitions and tournaments in the hopes of giving the sport a monumental debut at the 2028 Paralympic Games.

Meet Our Founders

Chip Parmelly

FOUNDER + PRESIDENT

Amanda Parmelly

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Bruce Denton

VICE PRESIDENT

Wendy Garf-Lipp

Consultant

Michael Lipp

Treasurer

85 years of wheelchair experience.

  • Chip was injured in 1982 and brings over 40 years of wheelchair experience with him as the President and founder of the USWPA. Prior to his injury, Chip participated in numerous sports growing up and throughout high school and college. Chip was a certified Scuba diving instructor at 18 years old and has a passion for teaching. Whether it was scuba, racquetball, tennis or more recently pickleball, he loves to see people learn and perfect their sport. He was so enamored by pickleball, he became a certified PPR instructor recently so he would be able to teach the sport correctly.

    Chip discovered pickleball in 2022 and was surprised that the sport had not taken hold in the wheelchair sports community. His passion is to grow the sport through all avenues available through the USWPA and their sponsors. He experienced the growth of wheelchair tennis many years ago and feels that pickleball is an easier sport for players to learn and master. His experience in wheelchair sports netted him gold medals in the Barcelona and Atlanta Paralympic games and he wants to bring that winning attitude to developing wheelchair pickleball!

  • Amanda brings over 36 years of wheelchair user experience to her position with the USWPA. Prior to her injury, she was an excellent student and also excelled at numerous sports that included softball, basketball, track, volleyball and cheerleading. After her injury at 16 years old, Amanda competed in wheelchair sports that included basketball, tennis and more recently pickleball. Not only is she an accomplished athlete, she has raised 4 grown successful children and considers that her greatest achievement!

    Amanda graduated with a para legal degree and plans on using those skills to assist in her duties as the secretary and marketing director of the USWPA. With her experience in working with special needs children as well as volunteering for the Special Olympics, she is an ideal fit for helping grow this sport with the younger generation. She feels that our mission to grow this exciting sport throughout the US and beyond is well worth the time spent is this endeavor.

  • Bruce comes with a background in diverse sports. High School football and wrestling. Multiple martial arts disciplines throughout his life. Prior and after open heart surgery in 2016 he got involved in running 5/10Ks as well as sprint triathlons.

    In June 2023 He started playing Pickleball and fell in love with the sport. He now tries to play at least three times a week. He volunteers on a regular basis with local Para Pickleball activities. Assisting in local programs and playing hybrid whenever possible. He is passionate about growing the sport in general and wheelchair pickleball specifically.

  • Michael is a polio survivor getting polio as a toddler in 1955. He lives in Dartmouth, MA and has played pickleball since 2017 when he retired from teaching at a vocational high school in New Bedford, MA.

    His goal isn’t to win medals but to be the best version of himself by playing countless hours a week. “The people you meet playing become a big part of your life and that is what keeps you coming back to play.”

    The U.S. Open in Naples, Florida is what really got him motivated and from there he became a sponsored player from Selkirk which greatly helped his confidence. “I can not thank Selkirk enough for including me on their epic amped team!

    He met Chip at the U.S. Open in 2023 and is so happy to be working with him and on the mission to promote wheelchair pickleball.