GIVERS
A SPORT THAT SERVES Abilities Tennis offers fitness and friendship by HAMPTON WILLIAMS HOFER photography by SMITH HARDY
K
evin Ratliff used to spend all year waiting for the annual Special Olympics tennis tournament, his lone opportunity to play competitive tennis. In 2007, his mother, Debbie Ratliff, decided that he and his friends should be able to play the sport they love all year long, so she—along with
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fellow founders Kirstie Marx and Sue Wisdom—collaborated with the North Carolina Tennis Association to create a program to provide tennis opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities. It is now called the Abilities Tennis Association of North Carolina (ATANC), and it offers free clinics and tournaments to athletes ranging in age from eight to
70 who have intellectual disabilities like Autism, Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. Under the leadership of a dedicated board and passionate volunteers, the program has taken off, and people all over the country are noticing. The United States Tennis Association shined a spotlight on the nonprofit, awarding ATANC the prestigious 2018 USTA National
