Mary Helen Biller finds strength, confidence through wheelchair tennis

Mary Helen Biller was born with spina bifida, a type of birth defect where the spinal column doesn’t close completely during pregnancy, causing damage to the spinal cord and nerves. She can walk freely but is unable to run and occasionally falls down.

Biller first became interested in wheelchair tennis through Adaptive Sports Iowa. She has played wheelchair tennis for the past three years and was recently named Adaptive Sports Iowa’s 2025 Sean Runyan Athlete of the Year.

“I really enjoy the people in the group, and some of them have been playing a lot longer than I have,” she said. “They’ve been very patient, encouraging and understanding. So has my coach, Nicole Berger. They all make it easy to show up to lessons every week.”

Added Berger: “Wheelchair tennis is good for people with spina bifida because it teaches that if you keep showing up and giving 100% during practice, anything is possible.”

Berger is the director of men’s and women’s tennis at Simpson College in Indianola. She said in the past three years, Biller has grown mentally and physically from playing tennis, and she has increased confidence on the court.

“The combo between time spent in the gym and tennis has given Mary stronger abs, legs and low back, which are all very important to stay strong,” Berger said. “Tennis has given her confidence on and off the court. Tennis has turned her ‘I cannot’ into ‘I can do this.’”

Biller said, as a child, she used to frequently go to the tennis courts to watch her mom play tennis during the summer. She wishes her mom could see her now.

“I play in her memory and honor,” Biller said. “She died before I started my fitness journey and wheelchair tennis. She would be proud to know that I’m doing it.”

Biller also takes part in adaptive kayaking and snow skiing, and she has finished multiple 5Ks. She has a goal of completing a second adaptive hike in the Grand Canyon. She completed her first one in 2019.

Learn more about wheelchair tennis opportunities within USTA Missouri Valley by clicking here.