Mark Bullock named 2022 UNIQLO Spirit Award winner
Mark Bullock of Great Britain has been confirmed as the winner of the UNIQLO Spirit Award for 2022, with Colombia’s Angelica Bernal named as the runner up.
Launched in 2017 by UNIQLO and the ITF, the award was created to honour an individual or organisation who embodies the principles and core values of UNIQLO, who embraces challenge in pursuit of the promotion of wheelchair tennis and is admired for their integrity and character.
Mark Bullock has been closely involved in the development of wheelchair tennis for 30 years, since first witnessing the sport being played during an exhibition at a Billie Jean King Cup tie at Nottingham Tennis Centre, where he was then working as Tennis Development Officer.
During the 1990s Bullock fulfilled various roles within wheelchair tennis, including being personal coach to former British No. 1 and world No. 8 Jayant Mistry, initiating a wheelchair tennis programme in Cardiff, Wales and becoming Great Britain National Wheelchair Tennis Coach for a three-year period.
He joined the ITF in 2001 as Wheelchair Tennis Development Officer and remained with the ITF for 15 years, becoming ITF Wheelchair Tennis Manager in 2008 until July 2016.
Since leaving the ITF in 2016 Bullock has launched a career as a self-employed Advisor in International Inclusive Sports Development, a wide-ranging role that includes working with and for a number or different organisations, with wheelchair tennis still a key element in his work.
In 2018 he took on the role of Coordinator for the wheelchair tennis events that take place during The Championships at Wimbledon, with the sport continuing to grow and develop and win new fans at the third Grand Slam of the year.
During 2020 Bullock was actively involved in providing online wheelchair tennis coaching for players during the COVID 19 pandemic and he has since expanded the role to online coach education and coach mentoring.
Over the last 30 years Bullock has visited more than 80 countries to develop and promote wheelchair tennis and remains a passionate and leading advocate for the sport.
Angelica Bernal, Colombia’s highest ranked wheelchair tennis player to date, was named as runner-up by UNIQLO this year in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the development of wheelchair tennis, especially in Colombia.
Ten years on from Bernal, now 27, winning the second of her Cruyff Foundation Junior Masters titles, she and her family recently celebrated 10 years of Semillas sin Barrerras, the tennis school that Bernal set up to offer wheelchair tennis coaching to children and teenagers with disabilities in Bogota.
Bernal continues to set a great example for women and young girls, especially in Colombia and the Americas.