Armless archers inspire millions with stunning feats at 2024 Paralympic Games

Excelling in archery is already challenging, but several Paralympic athletes are going viral for making it look effortless — all without the use of their arms.
American archer Matt Stutzman, a longtime veteran of armless archery, and India’s rising star Sheetal Devi left a strong impression at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
During the Games, Stutzman won the gold medal in the men’s Para archery individual compound open event. In a closely contested match, he defeated China’s Ai Xinliang, setting a new Paralympic record with a near-perfect score of 149 out of 150 points.
Xinliang was just behind with 147 points.
Devi also delivered an outstanding performance. In the 1/8 elimination round of the women’s individual compound open competition, she stunned spectators by hitting the bullseye.
Devi went on to secure the bronze medal in the mixed compound open archery event with teammate Rakesh Kumar, becoming the youngest Paralympic medalist in India’s history at 17, according to the Olympics.
“Thank you, India!” Devi wrote on Instagram after her win. “Overwhelmed with gratitude for the unconditional love and support from all of you!”
Stutzman’s gold medal marks the culmination of a challenging journey. A pioneer in armless archery, he has helped make the sport more accessible to people with similar disabilities.
According to Guinness World Records, among his many accomplishments, Stutzman broke the world record in 2015 for the farthest accurate distance archery shot, a title previously held by an able-bodied archer.
Stutzman was introduced to archery at a young age after being adopted by a family of hunters when he was 4 months old, according to the International Paralympic Committee. Born without arms, he aspired to be like his father and brother.
“They couldn’t hit nothing,” Stutzman said. “But when you’re little, you want to act like your dad or mimic what he does, so he helped me purchase my first bow. I was 16 at the time.”
Unfortunately, the bow was stolen shortly after, and Stutzman did not pick up archery again for many years.
Stutzman resumed archery at 28, per Time magazine, refining his technique until he could compete against able-bodied archers in competition.
This eventually led him to the Paralympics, where he won a silver medal in 2012.
Stutzman has announced that his archery career is coming to an end, citing hip problems from years of shooting, according to World Archery.
However, he leaves behind a legacy that will be carried on by other armless archers.
At this year’s Paralympic Games, he was joined by three other competitors with similar disabilities, including Devi, Belgium’s Piotr Van Montagu, and Mexico’s Víctor Sardina Viveros.
At the 2023 World Archery Para Championships in Pilsen, Devi had the opportunity to meet Stutzman, who shared insights from his years of experience.
“Matt was the first armless archer, and it was the first time I met him,” Devi said, per the International Paralympic Committee. “I was very excited.”
Following his gold medal win, Stutzman expressed excitement for the future of the sport and for those following in his footsteps, despite his decision to take a step back.
“I’m not sad, because there are amazing armless archers that are going to carry on this tradition,” Stutzman said, per the Olympics. “I will always be around, and I will still be supporting and helping and getting them to achieve what I feel and achieve. It’s their turn to shine.”