SAN ANTONIO — Table Tennis Paralympic hopeful Jenson Van Emburgh is doing his summer training in San Antonio after moving to south Texas from Florida in September 2020.
"It would be amazing because it's been lots of hard work, dedication and tough times, so a gold medal would mean the world", said Van Emburgh.
Seven years ago, Van Emburgh was competing abroad in Romania when he met a fellow competitor named Vlad Farcas. It was the beginning of a friendship that would blossom to another level in advance of the upcoming 2021 Paralympic Games in Japan. Van Emburgh eventually put aside his playing days and relocated to San Antonio where his mother was living. And his next step then was making the decision to get in coaching, coaching table tennis.
"I didn't know what to do?", said Farcas. "So I said,' okay, I'm gonna coach table tennis because that's what I know how to do.'" And with that, came the birth of the San Antonio Table Tennis Club of which Farcas is Club President.
The two friends had reconnected when Farcas donated to Van Emburgh's GoFundMe account, and Van Emburgh finally inquired about the kind of player that Vlad was. The marks were high and Van Emburgh was intrigued. 'I asked around a little bit and they told me he was really good player', Van Emburgh said. 'I flew out (to San Antonio) and it actually turns out that he's much better than just a sparring partner, he's an amazing coach also.' Farcas added, 'There's a lot of trust, and that trust is always important. It is important to always trust your coach.'
The relationship has blossomed as the duo works final preparations before departing for Japan next month. Van Emburgh loves his coach, so much in fact, that he's put down a contract on a house purchase in the city. 'I fell in love with this city. There is so much to do here', he added. 'I'm already looking at Paris in my sights, that's only three years away in 2024, so I know for sure I'll be there. And then of course Los Angeles in 2028.
So we say welcome to San Antonio, Van Emburgh, and go represent us and the country strong at the summer Paralympic Games. He's ranked 11th in the world, and he's the number one ranked wheelchair table tennis player in the United States, so he'll have an amazing opportunity to medal at the games.