Master to mentor: Matt Stutzman helping India’s impressive armless archer

Sheetal Devi was one of the rising stars at the 2023 World Archery Para Championships in Pilsen.

The 16-year-old, who holds her bow with her foot in the style of famous Armless Archer Matt Stutzman, shot only eight points less than Indian teammate and world record breaker Sarita to seed fourth after the compound women’s qualifying round on the first day of the World Championships.

Together, the pair set a new doubles world record – and an impressive first day at her World Championships debut.

Shooting to a new level

Devi was the only female archer without arms who competed at these championships. She only started shooting 11 months ago, but the undoubtedly talented athlete is already shooting at a level that some would only dream of.

“I’m very excited. It’s a big competition,” said Devi, who aims to represent her country at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. “I know it’s a qualification tournament. And I feel great here.”

Devi lives with her family in the mountains in India. She was born without arms, but her life is that of a normal teenager. She goes to school – and now she trains.
“I never thought I could do archery,” she said.

One phone call to coach Kuldeep Kumar changed everything.

“I told her to come to the academy and see other people shooting,” the coach said, adding that she progressed rapidly after she took up the sport.

“I took her to the national championships. She was excited and saw many Para archers with different disabilities. She quickly got really interested in the sport.”

Learning from the best

Devi made her debut at the World Archery Para Championships, but it was not her first international event. She has good memories in the Czech Republic – she took silver at the European Para Archery Cup held across the country in Nove Mesto in May.

She has been competing against able-bodied under-18s and winning medals domestically since.

Devi was one of three archers without arms competing in Pilsen. And she had drawn the attention of the reigning World Archery Para Champion – and the trailblazer for the technique – Stutzman.

“It’s kind of hard to believe! There are probably six armless archers now! It’s amazing,” Stutzman said. “You only really see them at big events, so this our chance to help them as much as possible.”

Stutzman shot three arrows through Devi’s bow – and that was enough to lend his valuable insight.

“I could tell her coach that her peep needs to be bigger because the sizing of the peep and the scope is wrong,” he said. “He wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t shot her bow.”

Stutzman is a three-time Paralympian who won the silver medal in the men’s individual compound open at London 2012. And he was probably the only one who could help Devi in such a manner.

A master and a mentor

Devi watched on as the legend of Para archery shot using her equipment.

“The first arrow went in the eight, second in the nine. Before the third shot, he said, ‘now I will shoot a 10’. And he shot a 10,” said coach Kuldeep. “She was watching very excited and was very happy.”

It was a priceless lesson with a master – maybe a mentor.

“Matt was the first armless archer, and it was the first time I met him,” Devi said. “I was very excited.”

It didn’t take long for her to deploy her new learnings to devastating effect. Her 689-point 72-arrow 50-metre qualifying round was world-class for an archer with arms, let alone one without.

(Stutzman shot four points less, with 685.)

“I want her to be successful,” said Stutzman. “She wants to win really bad. It’s good she came because we can help her out.”

It was only last year in Dubai that there were multiple armless archers on the shooting line at the World Archery Para Championships. Now it became normal. And, despite the inherent challenge, they’re performing.

“I can retire now and be okay with everything. I’ve done really well, but the fact that we have other armless archers is way more important. It builds archery,” said Stutzman. 

He assures that Paris will be his last Paralympic campaign.

“It proves anybody can shoot a bow. You don’t need arms do to that,” Stutzman said.

“Bows just want to be shot.”