www.washingtonpost.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
23.37.45.67
Public Scan
URL:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/08/30/matt-stutzman-armless-archer-paralympics/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medi...
Submission: On September 01 via api from BE — Scanned from DE
Submission: On September 01 via api from BE — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form class="wpds-c-gRPFSl wpds-c-gRPFSl-jGNYrR-isSlim-false">
<div class="transition-all duration-200 ease-in-out"><button type="submit" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup-button" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-uTUwn-variant-primary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-density-default wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-icon-left">Sign
up</button></div>
</form>Text Content
Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Advertisement Democracy Dies in Darkness Well+BeingFitness Food Mind Body Life Well+BeingFitness Food Mind Body Life MATT STUTZMAN IS AN ARMLESS PARALYMPIC ARCHER. NOW HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE. The four-time Paralympian has won a silver medal and set records. He’s also inspired other armless athletes to take up the sport. 6 min 11 Key takeaways Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed. * Stutzman has inspired other armless individuals to take up archery. * He broke a world record for the farthest accurate archery shot with a compound bow. * Stutzman is building his drag racing career because of hip issues. * He aims to continue inspiring and mentoring others without arms. Did our AI help? Share your thoughts. Matt Stutzman competes in the opening round of the men's archery tournament at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday. (Cyril Zannettacci/Agence VU/FTWP) By Amanda Morris August 30, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EDT Among a row of outstretched arms and bows in the Paralympic men’s individual compound para archery competition, it’s easy to find Matt Stutzman; look instead for an outstretched leg. Stutzman, 41, who lives in Fairfield, Iowa, has competed in the Paralympics as its only armless archer for a long time. But he has proved to be a trailblazer — more and more armless people are competing in the sport. Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post Save up to 75% for a limited time. Get your first year for €1 every four weeks This year, there are three other archers competing in Paris who don’t have arms: Piotr Van Montagu of Belgium, who also competed in the last Paralympics, Víctor Sardina Viveros of Mexico, and the only female, Sheetal Devi of India. Devi and Van Montagu are two of many armless people who have been mentored by Stutzman in the sport. Others have been inspired to try archery because of him. Story continues below advertisement “After the Rio Games, I started getting inquiries from other people around the world with no arms,” Stuzman said of the 2016 Paralympics. “That’s when I realized it was bigger than just shooting a bow, it’s about helping other people.” Advertisement Stutzman is a four-time Paralympian and silver medalist who broke a world record in 2015 for the farthest accurate archery shot with a compound bow (regardless of whether they have a disability) when he hit a target from 310 yards. He has regularly competed against non-disabled archers, and believes that the strength of his legs gives him an advantage. “I can aim and hold things steadier for longer periods of time than people with arms,” he said. 🎾 Follow Sports Follow To load an arrow, Stutzman pinches his bow between two toes on his right foot and pushes his leg out to draw the bow. He holds steady, with not a shake or a waver, before he finally releases the arrow using a release aid that he activates by both leaning back and using chin pressure. The arrow flies out with a gentle swish before hitting its target. LEARNING ARCHERY WITHOUT ROLE MODELS Stutzman was born without arms, and his parents pushed him to figure things out on his own. He learned to do everything with his feet, such as tying his shoes, typing and driving a car. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Despite his capabilities, Stutzman said he struggled to get a job because of the stigma he faced as a visibly disabled person. Then in 2010, he saw archery on TV and felt inspired to try it. “My brain was like, ‘You know what? That’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to get a bow and put food on the table. That’s how you’re going to provide for your family,’” he recalled. “Because a bow doesn’t care who shoots it.” First, he needed to learn how to shoot — but he had no role models or examples. He started imitating professional archers he saw in online videos and devised a system that worked for him. Within a month, he felt confident enough to compete in an archery competition, where he placed in the top two, he said. Less than two years later, he qualified to compete in the 2012 Paralympics. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “At that point I had been told that I can’t do stuff for such a long time based on what I looked like. Then I had finally found that thing where someone couldn’t tell me ‘No,’” he said. “I was like, ‘This is it, this is what I need to do.’” MENTORING OTHER ARMLESS ATHLETES At the start of the para archery competition Thursday, Stutzman competed alongside Van Montagu and Sardina Viveros — both of whom were inspired by him at the beginning of their careers. For Van Montagu, videos of Stutzman made him try archery. “I admired his strength,” Van Montagu said through an interpreter. Van Montagu became the second armless archer in the previous Summer Games and has since developed a friendship with Stutzman. Despite being competitors, he said Stutzman still gave him advice on his archery technique. Story continues below advertisement Armless archers need to think about different things. For example, Van Montagu said one challenge he encounters is staying balanced. Advertisement Sardina Viveros, who started archery two years ago, said Stutzman was his inspiration, too. “It’s an honor to be competing against Matt Stutzman, he’s a great athlete and a great archer — one of the best in the world,” he said in Spanish. Stutzman has also advised Devi, who finished second on Thursday in the ranking round of the individual women’s compound para archery competition — in which she missed setting a world para archery record by one point. TAKING ON A NEW SPORT — DRAG RACING For the Summer 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles, Stutzman expects the number of armless archers competing to double. Regardless of whether he wins a medal in this year’s Games, he considers this to be among his proudest accomplishments. Story continues below advertisement “For me, that is my gold medal,” he said. “It’s their job now to continue what I started.” Advertisement He has said this Paralympics may be his last, since he is dealing with hip issues. He has to hold his leg up high to shoot during competitions, causing the hip muscle on his right leg to shrink. “The more I shoot, the more sore my hips and legs get,” he said. “If you look at how I shoot, legs weren’t designed to do all that for 13 straight years.” Stutzman plans to stay involved in sport competitions — his newest pursuit is drag racing, which he said is gentler on his hips because he is able to hold the steering wheel differently than he holds a bow. He has begun to build his drag racing career by getting his professional license and competing. And Stutzman said he has started getting messages from other armless people around the United States asking for help in learning to drive. He plans to keep using his platform to teach, inspire and encourage others — making it clear that those without arms are able to drive, get jobs and live life like everyone else. “I don’t even know how I’m the pioneer,” he said. “When I got into archery, I thought everybody without arms shot a bow, and it was ‘No, I guess I’m the only one.’ It was the same thing with drag racing, I thought everyone without arms drives a car.” But, he said, perhaps in the future, there will be more armless drag racers as well. READ MORE FROM WELL+BEING Well+Being shares news and advice for living well every day. Sign up for our newsletter to get tips directly in your inbox. This weightlifting workout in your 60s can preserve strength for years Are white noise machines bad? Here’s what the latest science says. I prepared for my knee replacement surgery. But I had a lot to learn. Electric toothbrushes are better. But the right technique matters more. Avocado hand: How to avoid an injury so common that surgeons have a name for it Making new friends can be hard. Here are 5 ways to make 1 friend a year. Share 11 Comments NewsletterDaily Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors, delivered every morning. Sign up Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan → Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Company About The Post Newsroom Policies & Standards Diversity & Inclusion Careers Media & Community Relations WP Creative Group Accessibility Statement Sitemap Get The Post Become a Subscriber Gift Subscriptions Mobile & Apps Newsletters & Alerts Washington Post Live Reprints & Permissions Post Store Books & E-Books Today’s Paper Public Notices Contact Us Contact the Newsroom Contact Customer Care Contact the Opinions Team Advertise Licensing & Syndication Request a Correction Send a News Tip Report a Vulnerability Terms of Use Digital Products Terms of Sale Print Products Terms of Sale Terms of Service Privacy Policy Cookie Settings Submissions & Discussion Policy RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices washingtonpost.com © 1996-2024 The Washington Post * washingtonpost.com * © 1996-2024 The Washington Post * About The Post * Contact the Newsroom * Contact Customer Care * Request a Correction * Send a News Tip * Report a Vulnerability * Download the Washington Post App * Policies & Standards * Terms of Service * Privacy Policy * Cookie Settings * Print Products Terms of Sale * Digital Products Terms of Sale * Submissions & Discussion Policy * Sitemap * RSS Terms of Service * Ad Choices WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY We and our 43 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. If you click “I accept,” in addition to processing data using cookies and similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our surveys and other interactive content for personalized advertising. If you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our Privacy Policy (consistent with law and, if applicable, other choices you have made). WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS COOKIE DATA TO PROVIDE: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Store and/or access information on a device. Use limited data to select content. Use limited data to select advertising. List of Partners (vendors) I Accept Reject All Show Purposes