Big Rapids 12-year-old helps lift wheelchair basketball team to national tournament

GRAND RAPIDS— Big Rapids 12-year-old Chase Fuller has used a wheelchair since suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident in April 2019.

Three years ago, he discovered wheelchair basketball at an adaptive sports camp.

“A coach thought that I was pretty all right, so he wanted me to come play basketball,” Fuller said.

He’s now in his third season on the Mary Free Bed Junior Pacers prep team, which is currently ranked third in the nation.

“It’s taken him a little bit to get used to the wheelchair and get used to playing, and he’s one of our main scorers now,” coach Patrick Besta said.

Their No. 3 ranking punched their ticket to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association National Tournament, as the top 16 teams are awarded invites.

“In the whole nation we’re competing to win it, like, win it all, it’s crazy,” Fuller said.

Fuller and the rest of the Junior Pacers will be in Richmond, Virginia, for the NWBA Junior National Championship April 5-7.