DALLAS, TX – Taylor Nichols is a former motocross athlete who suffered a career-ending and life-changing spinal cord injury while racing that confined him to a wheelchair. 

Six years later, Nichols is a trailblazer for adaptive pickleball in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Here’s his story. 

“Unfortunately, I had a bad get-off and crashed, landed on my back, and I broke it. The bones actually went into my spinal cord, which disrupted the signal from your brain to your legs,” he explained. “It was labeled as a T6 spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the chest down.”

Given the severity of the injury, doctors said that he would never walk again. 

“I’m an athlete by nature so I use that mentality to push the limits, defy the odds of what the doctors told me. I broke barriers that they said I would never do and I’ve been able to push the sensation and functionality down a bit further than originally expected,” said Nichols. 

As he continued to defy the odds, Nichols felt compelled to share his story in hopes of encouraging others facing similar medical challenges.

“When you go through something like that, people don’t want to get out and do certain things. They don’t want to be involved in the community. Once they go through these situations, it mentally gets to you. I’ve made it my purpose to be heavily involved in the communities and get back as much as I can,” he insisted. “I might be in a wheelchair and it might take me longer to do something or navigate it in a different way, but my mentality is that I’m still going to do the same things I did before, and the things I want to do.” 

In fact, Nichols goes snow skiing, plays basketball, and is a member of the Dallas Cowboys wheelchair football team. He’s truly practicing what he preaches. 

Discovering pickleball, however, was especially big for him.

“I truly believe pickleball is for everyone,” noted Nichols. “It’s one of the easiest sports to learn and master.” 

Nichols regularly competes at his local courts as the only wheelchair athlete, but he can easily play a hybrid game alongside able-bodied friends, family, and teammates. 

At the Vizzy Atlanta Open, Nichols played a hybrid game with Anna Leigh Waters during the Carvana Pickleball For All event. 

After doing some research, Nichols noticed a critical gap in America's fastest-growing sport. There were very few people in wheelchairs playing pickleball and even fewer tournaments offering a wheelchair division. He was eager to change that.

Now, Nichols is the adaptive pickleball coordinator with Chicken N Pickle where they regularly host para pickleball events.

“I’ve seen people who’ve never been in a sports chair or have been in a wheelchair all their life and they’ve never gone out, done a physical activity, or been able to participate because they’re usually sitting on the sidelines watching. And now, they’re out on the court playing,” he said. “Once they get out there, it’s like the light switch goes off. Their confidence and demeanor changes that translates over to everyday life. I truly believe pickleball is for everyone.”

Talk about an inspirational message.

“I’m sharing my story and hoping that it encourages the next person to keep going, keep pushing, and still live a fulfilling life,” he concluded.