Paris 2024: Stutzman excited to compete in front of a crowd at fourth Paralympics
Armless Archer Matt Stutzman won a silver medal at London 2012 Paralympic Games and became a world champion at Dubai 2022. Find out how he is preparing for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which open in less than three weeks 12 Aug 2024
The Esplanade des Invalides is a huge garden in the heart of Paris but Matt Stutzman knows that already.
The famous ‘Armless Archer’ can smell the grass, sense the atmosphere, imagine the crowds, visualise his shots. When he enters the field of play at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, he will feel instantly at home.
“It’s going to be amazing,” promises Stutzman. “It has been a very long time since people have been able to get out of the house and watch Para sport live. These Games are going to huge.”
Game Changers: Meet Matt Stutzman, the Armless Archer 🏹
Ready for Paris 2024
Stutzman, who has represented the USA at three Paralympic Games, has a backdrop of the Esplanade des Invalides at his Iowa home, a daily reminder of what awaits the end of his current journey.
“I have a mental image, the crowd, my position. When I come to Paris I have been here a million times. I can feel the wind, sense it. I will be ready.”
Ready to take centre stage, Stutzman is a showman who relishes being the focus of attention.
“I love crowds and performing in front of people. That is my edge and I feed off the crowd. I can’t wait. It is going to be out of this world.”
While Stutzman says his goal is to win a medal at his fourth Paralympic Games, he is also looking forward to seeing other archers without arms compete and earn medal.
Seventeen-year-old Sheetal Devi, a silver medallist at the 2023 World Championships, is set to make her Paralympic debut, joining Stutzman and other archers without arms.
“If one of them can podium … it’s the ultimate showing the world you can do it,” he said.
Winning the lottery
Stutzman, who was born without arms, took up Para archery ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Taking up the sport was a way for him to prove that he could do anything.
“Most of my life I have had people watching me, whether it is at a restaurant where they are looking at me eating with my feet. Or whether it’s at gas station on one leg pumping gas.”
“I remember trying to go find a job. I remember applying for places, I remember them saying ‘you qualify on paper, come on in’. I remember coming in and they would see what I looked like and then I didn’t get the job. So as a man taking care of his boys I felt down."
...and fire! 🏹 🎯
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) May 18, 2021
Matt Stutzman hits the target. @ArmlessArcher @worldarchery #SportWeek pic.twitter.com/e835om9jTQ
He went on to win silver at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which changed his life.
“In London I had no expectations, just go and enjoy the entire moment of what I was doing. It was a lottery-winning moment for me.
“I went from no job to London, coming home from London and the whole town threw a parade for me and then I had job offers like crazy. They didn’t see me as a person with a physical disability, but as a person that could do anything.”
A mentor for athletes
Stutzman is not just one of the most high-profile of Para archers but he is also a mentor to a new generation of competitors. They may be rivals but the US athlete is always happy to help.
“The coolest thing about my sport is that anybody can do it. It’s why I fell in love with it. The bow wants to be shot and doesn’t care if it’s feet or mouth…it does not stereotype the athletes, anyone who puts in the time can be the best in the world.”
Stutzman has been putting in eight hours a day every day as he prepares for Paris.
“Paralympic sport I have integrated into my life with the intensity reminding me that I can still do anything I put my mind to.
“I am focused and I want to do it and win it but I want to push myself in the same way. Trying to raise my kids to think like I think. That is what archery has done for me.”
When Stutzman was 16 he applied for his driving license, passed all the tests including a college programme and the instructor refused to sign him off.
“I was just frustrated. I love cars, in Iowa where I live that gets you to a job and gets you to after-school programmes, and sports and I was told I couldn’t do it because I had no arms even though I could do it.
“When I was 18 I got my license and now I can drive an unmodified car and even manual transmission with my right foot on the steering wheel, left foot on the gas and brake.”
With a little luck
Stutzman hopes his preparations bear fruit this summer but he is realistic enough to accept that luck can play a part when it comes to elite sport.
“It’s that one per cent edge. I don’t believe talent gets you all the way there. You need luck some time, especially in archery.
“In the last two Games I had equipment malfunctions. Rio [2016] on my final shot. If I hit a 10 I win, if I hit 9 I tie and if I hit 8 I lose. When I shot the nock on the arrow broke and it went either 8 or 7.
“In Tokyo [2020] I get off the plane and get to the field of play and my bow is broken on the flight over. You can have the talent, but it is how you handle the situation when you see it.”
Discover more about the Paris 2024 Paralympic sports
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