Steve Serio
Since Steve Serio began playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 14, success has seemed to follow him everywhere. In addition to playing on the U.S. Under-23 Team, he was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2005 Junior World Championships before joining the U.S. National Team the following year. From 2006-2007, Serio added a world championships silver medal and a gold from the Parapan American Games to his résumé. As one of the youngest players on Team USA, Serio has a bright future ahead. In 2012 he will look for redemption after failing to medal in Beijing.
When Serio was 11 months old, he had surgery to remove a tumor on his spine. The procedure resulted in a compression of his spinal cord and paralysis. He is currently a junior at the University of Illinois, where he is studying kinesiology. A self-proclaimed basketball junkie, Serio said when he's not on the court he enjoys hanging out with friends.
Major Achievements:
- 2009: Gold medal- National Championships, Team qualifier World Championships
- 2009: Gold medal- Junior World Championships, MVP
- U.S. Paralympic Team member, Wheelchair Basketball - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2008: First place - North American Cup, Birmingham, Alabama
- 2008: NWBA College Division National Champion, MVP of Collegiate Division - University of Illinois
- 2007: Gold medal - Parapan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 2006: Silver medal - IWBF Gold Cup (World Championships), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 2005: Tournament MVP - Junior National Wheelchair Basketball Championship (with the Long Island Lightning)
- 2005: Gold medal - World Junior Basketball Championships, Birmingham, England
