Candy Pegram teaches able-bodied and wheelchair athletes how to excel in tennis, and she makes them feel great in the process.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Her name is Candy, but don’t let the sweet connotation fool you.
This seasoned tennis coach can be salty when she needs to be!
“If you come here, you’re gonna learn tennis but you’re also gonna be able to talk trash and have a good time on the court with everyone,” she laughed.
Candy Pegram is Community Coordinator for the
. She also coaches the sport, and not all of her athletes can run around the court.
Several are in wheelchairs, and they are some of Candy’s favorite athletes.
“It literally feels just like a little team getting together and hitting tennis balls and to me, they’re my buddies, they’re some of my best friends,” she explained. “So yeah, these guys mean the world to me.”
To appreciate where Candy is now, you have to see how far she’s come. Back in 2019, Pegram started talking to Wheel Serve North Carolina about establishing a new wheelchair tennis program in our region. Then came the pandemic pause, but Candy kept the idea rolling.
She eventually partnered with UNCW’s Recreation Therapy department. Program coordinator Brent Hawkins explains how he got on board.
“So actually, one of the Athletic Directors at UNCW contacted me and said, ‘Hey, they’d like to start a wheelchair tennis program here in town; would you be interested in getting it started?’ and that’s how the program was initiated.”
Hawkins wrote to WWAY’s Donna Gregory to say why he thinks Pegram is extraordinary.
“First off, she’s a great leader and she has a wonderful heart,” Hawkins beamed.
“She cares deeply about people, she has the fundamental belief that everybody deserves the chance to play tennis no matter your ability, no matter your income level, no matter your physical abilities, your tennis abilities,” he added.
“Everybody’s welcome to come out,” Hawkins said, “and she’s a great encourager of people, and she’s given people opportunities to come out and connect with other people and to play a great sport and have a good time.”
The athletes agree with Hawkins’ assessment, saying Pegram is an inspirational leader who makes them feel empowered, no matter their skill or ability.
“She doesn’t see our wheelchairs,” explained athlete Billy Eno. “She just sees us as tennis players and that’s how we see ourselves– as tennis players.”
“We don’t see the chair, either,” Eno continued. “We just go out and practice and I think the goal is to try to get better whether you’re in a chair, [or] whether you’re able-bodied.”
Pegram says the athletes don’t want to be coddled, and that doesn’t happen under her watch.
“We’re hard on them when we need to be but it’s always in a joking manner, and they ‘bite back’,” she laughed.
“It’s part of the culture that we like here,” Pegram added.
“All the chairs and the stuff fade away once you get to hitting the tennis ball and get laughing and having fun and enjoying people and enjoying their friends,” she explained.
“All that stuff they have to deal with during the week fades away, and you don’t even think about the chairs,” she emphasized.
The coach with the sweet name can’t help but share credit for the group’s success, especially with Wheel Serve and the UNCW Rec Therapy program.
“Brent and his wife, and Rec Therapy students all provide chairs for new players,” she said.
“And our volunteers– we have several local tennis players who volunteer with us on Fridays. Access of Wilmington [also] has been beneficial in refereeing,” she added.
It’s a love match all around, and her friends say it’s all part of the “Candyland” culture.
“Obviously it’s not just me,” Pegram demurred. “It takes this community and what we’ve created. I couldn’t be more proud, and I love all these guys so much.”
And that sweet sentiment is mutual.
The group meets Friday mornings at Empie Park in Wilmington, and is always recruiting new members, both in wheelchairs and able-bodied. You can connect with Wheel Serve Wilmington here.