GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mary Free Bed's wheelchair and para-standing tennis tournament is back.
"I feel like it's so important to give people the same opportunities, no matter what their ability is, and to know that we're providing something. It's more than just a sport," said Maria Besta, manager of wheelchair and adaptive sports and recreational therapy at Mary Free Bed.
"They're here feeling empowered by the fact that they can play tennis and that they're around people who understand them and their families are around people that understand each other," Besta said.
The tournament also features para-standing players from both in and outside the Grand Rapids area.
Martina Siebert, 18, is participating in the para-standing tournament after traveling from Chile.
Siebert has TAR, or thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, which causes an absence of arm bones resulting in shorter arms.
"It's difficult for us," said Siebert. "I try everything. I drive a bike, I play hockey, volleyball, handball, I swim, I can [do] everything."
"We're very proud of her," said Macarena Cepeda, Martina's mother. "It's amazing to see her blossom and to see how far she has [got]. She is making us proud every day."
Siebert has won various championships in the United States, Spain and Italy.
"People with disabilities don't feel comfortable in many spaces, so to find adaptive sports, it's very good for them," said Cepeda. "We see that in our daughter. We see Martina very proud of what she's doing. And I think that that will help many other people with disabilities, to look for their path."
Every athlete has their own story.
That includes Xander Frost, 17, who battles spina bifida which heavily affects the spine. If you ask him, it isn't a challenge.
"I've always kind of been like, 'I'll get through it. I'll find a way to work through it,'" said Frost. "And that's the mindset that I've basically always had."
Frost is competing in the wheelchair tennis tournament. The first day of action marks four years, to the day, of his first time playing wheelchair tennis.
"It has that like sense of nostalgia," Frost said. "I've known a lot of the people that come to this tournament for many years now, so it's always kind of this safer environment."
Siebert and Frost are two of the many names competing for $5,000 in prize money. But the tournament brings with it, a deeper meaning.
"We want to provide more opportunities so that everyone, no matter what their ability level is, that they can have some form of a sport and recreation in their life," said Besta.
"This is a once-a-lifetime opportunity for them. It's a great place to be in for Mary Free Bed."