Texas Disability History Collection

Pamela Fontaine was born in 1964 in Columbus, Ohio. When she was eleven years old her
family moved from Ohio to New Jersey where she completed high school. Pam was heavily
involved in sports growing up, which included basketball, softball, and volleyball. When Pam
was seventeen years old she was involved in a car accident that left her a T-4 Paraplegic.
Fontaine discovered wheelchair sports following her release from a rehab facility and
continued to play sports.

Ms. Fontaine attended Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where she received her
bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. She also played wheelchair basketball and table tennis
during this time. In 1984 Fontaine won a silver medal in doubles for table tennis at the
Paralympics held in England. Following this win she retired from table tennis and
concentrated on wheelchair basketball.

Fontaine attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, where she received her
master’s degree and started, but did not complete her PhD. In 1990 Ms. Fontaine was part
of a group of women that founded the Dallas Wheelchair Lady Mavericks basketball team.
She competed in the 1988 and 1996 Paralympics for basketball, winning a gold medal in
1988 and a bronze in 1996.

Fontaine has two sons and continues to live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where she
teaches P.E. and adapted sports at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms.
Fontaine returned to playing table tennis and competed in the 2012 Paralympics and will
compete in the 2016 Rio games as well. She is currently a coach for the Dallas Wheelchair
Lady Mavericks.