I’m Adam Hills, Australian comedian, TV presenter and disability campaigner. I was born without a foot, but I prefer to call myself a mutant, rather than being labeled “disabled.” I’m determined to show young people with physical disabilities that they can access sports.

This is why I helped start the UK’s first Physical Disability Rugby League and why I’m supporting 17-year-old Kai Ryan and his dad, Nathan, with their incredible campaign to make Tennis accessible for people with disabilities who don’t use a wheelchair.

I've been playing tennis since I was 5 but until recently the only way I could play against people with similar disabilities was in a wheelchair. Until now there was only wheelchair tennis or able-bodied tennis. Nothing in between. Finally there’s a form of tennis for people like me. It’s called Standing Adaptive Tennis or Para-Standing Tennis and it’s a game-changer in the world of sports.

Back in the day, I’d been approached a few times to play wheelchair tennis at the Paralympics but I don’t use a wheelchair so it didn’t make any sense to me. Young Kai wants to be the first short-statured professional player to represent Australia in the Paralympics - and I can’t wait for his dream to come true. 

Sport is essential to improve your mental, physical and emotional health. We need to be opening up sport to people with disabilities and removing barriers that prevent them from getting active.

For years now, many athletes around the world have been seeking recognition for adaptive standing tennis to become a sanctioned category of tennis just like wheelchair tennis. 

Kai and Nathan’s grassroots movement that has gone global: Tennis Australia, the US Tennis Association are on our side. The International Tennis Federation is slowly opening up to the idea of sanctioning Para-Standing Tennis as a category of tennis. 

We need your help to showcase the viability and support for this form of tennis. The time is crucial to get more people behind this campaign - will you sign (and share) this petition to be part of the movement?