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Lonnie Hannah

Sport: Sled Hockey
Residence: Boerne, TX

Hannah has always been an outstanding athlete. In 1972, at eight years old, he became a U.S. roller speed skating national champion. At age 20, after a warehouse accident left him paralyzed, Hannah took up wheelchair tennis and won the U.S. Open wheelchair B-division singles championship in 1985. Hannah is also a two-time U.S. Open wheelchair A-division doubles champion, capturing the titles in 1987 and 1995. In 1996, he was named Player of the Year by the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis.

However, Hannah was introduced to sled hockey in 2001, and soon after his sport debut, he helped lead Team USA to win the gold medal at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, Hannah was a member of the bronze medal winning team. After the 2006 Paralympic Games, Hannah started coaching as well as playing sled hockey. He coached at the USA Hockey Sled Hockey Player Development Camp in 2007 and then decided to stay involved with coaching a little longer. Through a non-profit organization, Operation Comfort, Hannah coaches hockey for wounded veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Outside of hockey and coaching, Hannah loves spending time with his wife, Lindsay and his son, Tripp.

Major Achievements:

  • 2009 - USA Hockey's 2009 Disabled Athlete of the Year
  • 2009 – Gold medal- World Championships, Czech Republic
  • 2006 – Bronze medal – Paralympic Winter Games, Torino, Italy
  • 2004 – Silver medal – IPC World Championships
  • 2002 – Gold medal – Paralympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City, UT
  • 1996 – Named Player of the Year by the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis
  • 1995 – Won U.S. Open wheelchair A-division doubles championship
  • 1987 – Won U.S. Open wheelchair A-division doubles championship
  • 1985 – Won U.S. Open wheelchair D-division singles championship
  • 1972 – U.S. Roller Speed Skating National Champion

Lonnie works closely with The Hartford, founding sponsor of U.S. Paralympics®, helping to positively change public attitudes and perceptions about disability.