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Tampa Bay area Paralympian pushing for more medals after winning bronze

Jenson Van Emburgh, a Seminole High School product, is proving to be one of the best Paralympic table tennis players in the world.

BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. — When Jenson Van Emburgh is back home in the Tampa area, his family is always happy to see him.

And hear him, too.

"I've been taking it easy. I need to get back into it," Jenson said to his father while volleying back and forth in the middle of the living room playing table tennis.

Jenson suffered a spinal cord injury at birth, preventing him from following a similar path to his father Greg who played professional tennis and his older brother Jake, who is a Division I athlete at Ohio State.

"My whole family is a tennis family," Jenson said. "Table tennis was a bit similar as my disability is not what I would like it to be to play tennis."

Jenson often traveled to his brother's tennis tournaments growing up. During one of his trips, it was too hot to watch Jake compete so he trickled indoors and found a table tennis table. By the time the weekend was over, Jenson says he was beating nearly everyone who squared off against him.

"I just didn't want my disability to really keep me back from becoming who I am," he said.

The talent was always there, he just needed a big goal to get going.

"I had a spine surgery that took me out for about nine months, had a lot of complications, but I was watching the Rio Paralympics when I got the surgery," Jenson said.

That was in 2016. 

Jenson then made it his mission to represent Team USA for the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo. 

"It was surreal. I was finally there," he said.

Credit: Jenson van Emburgh
Jenson van Emburgh with his bronze medal in Tokyo.

Jenson pulls out the bronze medal from its casing after his father leaves for work.

"I think about all the hours that I put in...and just all the ups and downs I went through to get it," he said.

He has heard a lot about what he can and cannot do growing up. But it's one sound, thanks to this one sport, which has led him on one heck of a journey.

"I know it's kind of cliché, I bet a lot of people say this, but anything is possible," Jenson said.

Training has begun again for the now 21-year-old. He has the bronze and now it is time to dream bigger.

"Oh for sure Paris 2024. For sure Paris 2024 and then, of course, LA in 2028," Jenson said.

Before Jenson can go for another Paralympic medal, he is going to continue refining his skills on the international stage preparing to compete at the World Championships in Spain come November. 

You can help him on his journey here.

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