Inside Top End Sports
Since its founding in 1986, Top End has stood as a beacon of innovation and excellence in the realm of adaptive sports equipment. With a steadfast commitment to empowering athletes, we've fostered a legacy of support and achievement that spans the globe. From seasoned competitors to budding enthusiasts, Top End has been there every step of the way, witnessing triumphs on countless podiums worldwide.
At Top End, our mission is clear: to redefine the landscape of adaptive sports by making it more accessible, enjoyable, and fiercely competitive for all. We believe in breaking down barriers, both physical and mental, to ensure that every individual, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to pursue their passions to the fullest. With our cutting-edge equipment and unwavering dedication, we're not just shaping athletes; we're shaping futures. Join us as we continue to push the boundaries of possibility and inspire a new generation of champions.
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Congratulations to Paul Schulte and the entire Team USA for their remarkable achievement in securing their spot in the wheelchair basketball games at the Paris 2024 Paralympics!
This is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and exceptional skill on the court. We're immensely proud of their accomplishments and thrilled to see them represent the United States on the international stage. Here's to their continued success and a rewarding experience in Paris! Go Team USA!
Meet our Top End Athletes
Paul Schulte grew up in Manchester Michigan with a love of sports.
He was only 10 years old in 1989, when he was in a car accident in which he was paralyzed from the waist down.
At age 14, he was introduced to the Paralympic sport of Wheelchair Basketball. Throughout high school, Paul played for the Varsity Division Grand Rapids Junior Pacers. The Pacers won two Varsity Division National Championships during this time, with Paul named as the National Most Valuable Player in his senior year. In 1997, he accepted a full ride athletic scholarship to the University of Texas at Arlington.
At 18 years old, during his freshman season at UTA, Paul was invited to try out for the US Men's Paralympic wheelchair basketball team. He won a position on the team and his basketball career began to skyrocket. Paul went on to become a three-time Paralympian competing in Sydney Australia, Beijing China, and London England. Also, he became a 2-time world champion and in 2002 was named Most Valuable Player at the World Championships in Kitakyushu Japan. During his senior year of college, Paul's team won the Intercollegiate Championship, with Paul receiving Most Valuable Player, Academic All-American, and Sportsmanship honors. UT-Arlington later retired the jersey #20 in his honor. He went on to become a 5-time National Champion in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and was named Most Valuable Player for the championship division three times. Along the way, Paul has been nominated for both the Laureus and ESPY awards as Best Male Athlete of the Year with a Disability. Twice Paul was invited to the White House, meeting Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. After retiring from the National Team, Paul has served with NBC Sports as a color commentator during the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Paralympic games. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and currently serves as President for adaptive sport equipment manufacturer Top End Sports LLC (Pinellas Park, FL). Paul and his high school sweetheart Meghan Greenwald (now Schulte) were married in 2000 and they have a 13-year-old son Brady.
Career Accomplishments:
-3-time US Paralympian: 2000 Sydney, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London
-Gold Medalist, IWBF World Championships 1998 Sydney, 2002 Japan
-Most Valuable Player, IWBF World Championships 2002 Japan
-Silver Medalist, IWBF World Championships: 2006 Amsterdam, 2014 South Korea
-Bronze Medalist, Paralympic Games 2000 Sydney, 2012 London | IWBF World Championships 2010 Birmingham UK
-5-time National Champion, National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, Championship Division
-3-time Most Valuable Player, National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, Championship Division
-National Champion, NWBA Intercollegiate Championships 2002
-Most Valuable Player, Sportsmanship & Academic All-American Awards, NWBA Intercollegiate National Championship 2002
-National Champion, NWBA Varsity Junior Division 1995, 1997
-Most Valuable Player, NWBA Varsity Junior National Championships
-Retired Jersey #20, University of Texas at Arlington
-NBC Sports Paralympic Analyst/Commentator, 2016 Rio De Janeiro, 2020 Tokyo
-Director, The Paul Schulte Foundation 503(c)(3) 2007-Present
-Hall of Fame, National Wheelchair Basketball Association
-Hall of Fame, Michigan Wheelchair Sports Association
-ESPY Award Nominee 2002 Los Angeles
-Laureus Award Nominee 2002 Monaco
Watch this video: Sydney Bronze Medal Buzzer Beater
Jeremy "Opie" Lade is an American Paralympic Basketball player and head coach from Oconto, Wisconsin.
Opie was injured in a car accident at age 8, and attended his first wheelchair sports camp at the age of 13 at UW-Whitewater. He is a two-time Parapan American Games gold medalist in both 2007 and 2011. In 2002, he won a gold medal at IWBF World Championship and in 2006 won a silver one from the same place. Six years later, he was awarded a bronze medal for his participation at the 202 Summer Paralympics and is currently employed as a head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. From 2005 to 2008 he coached Milwaukee Wizards and led them to a Junior National Championship. In his spare time he likes to watch the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Milwaukee Brewers with Michael Jordan being his favorite athlete.
▪USA Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team 2001 – Present
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- Team Captain, USA Paralympic team
- Bronze Medal – London Paralympic Games - 2012
- Competed in Beijing Paralympic Games – 2008
- Gold Medal – Brazil – Parapan Games - 2008
- Silver Medal – Amsterdam – World Championships - 2006
- Silver Medal – Colorado Springs – Parapan Games – 2005
- Competed in Athens Paralympic Games - 2004
- Gold Medal – Kitakyushu – World Championships – 2002
▪University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 1999 – Present
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- National Championships as head coach – 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016
- National Dean’s List
- Who’s Who the Chancellor’s List
- Team Captain
- National Champions as an athlete– 2002, 2003 and 2004
- MVP – 2002 and 2003
Check out this article about Opie!
Daniel Romanchuk is a 25-year-old native of Mount Airy, MD.
He got started in adaptive sports at the age of 2 with the Bennett Blazers and played a number of sports before focusing on wheelchair racing around the age of 16, when he moved to Champaign, IL, to train with the University of Illinois Wheelchair Racing Team. He still lives and trains there today.
He first competed for Team USA on the track at the 2015 Para PanAm Games and the 2016 Rio Paralympics, going on to break the World Record in the 800m and 5000m multiple times between 2018 and 2021. Daniel became the youngest person ever to win an Abbott World Marathon Major in Chicago in 2018 and went on to win the New York City, Boston, and London Marathons, most of them multiple times. At the Tokyo 202 Paralympic Games, he became the first American in over 30 years to win a medal in the men’s T54 category, bringing home the gold in the 400m and the bronze in the marathon.
A Top End-sponsored athlete since 2018, Daniel can often be found down in Florida, testing new equipment and providing feedback to the design teams with the goal of creating high performing yet affordable equipment. Along with other racers such as Krige Schabort, he has also produced several online videos about wheelchair racing equipment and makes appearances at clinics around the country to help new wheelchair racers learn the sport. Most recently, he and his mom founded Wheels for Change, Inc., a nonprofit focused on supporting wheelchair racing at the grassroots level, both here in the US as well as abroad.
Watch this video of Romanchuk taking the gold in Tokyo 2020
Collegiate All-American
2023 World Champion
2023 ParaPan Games champion
National Team member for Paris 2024
2017 U23 National Team member
Jeromie Meyer was injured when he was 9 riding his bicycle. Found wheelchair basketball when he was in rehab. He's been playing basketball for 18 years. His passion and dedication in wheelchair basketball has provided him with an opportunity to compete for Team USA and be a role model to the next generation of adaptive athletes.
Stephen Zuravel currently serves as an Engineer at Top End Sports and competes in handcycling.
In 2009, Stephen was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a C7 spinal cord injury.
In 2010, he returned to school and began handcycling, completing his first marathon in the fall.
In years following, Stephen graduated from the University of Akron with a Mechanical Engineering degree and continued to become involved in adaptive sports. Through sport and relationships with peers, he became independent and moved to Florida in 2016 to work full time at Top End Sports.
He is now continuing his professional and athletic development with goals of making sport more accessible and achieving high levels of athletic performance.
Ken Bestine
Cycling has been a key element of my life since high school.
An accident 22 years ago closed one door and opened another for me.
Handcycling filled a void created by paralysis. Always looking for better fit and equipment to improve the handcycling experience. I found myself in a role of helping others achieve their goals as well.
One of my first handcycling experiences was participating in Saddles Ultra Challenge.
A week long race held in Alaska that brought the best participants from all over the world.
The event had a positive effect on me. It led me to hosting a similar event in Western NY with a
non-competitive twist that kept riders together in a pack for approximately 50 miles per day for a week.
Recognizing a need for a platform to promote handcycling events and racers that participate in the U.S. I developed a website USA Hand Bike Circuit.
