Athlete of the Week: Matt STUTZMAN (USA)

The American archer Matt STUTZMAN won the silver medal in the compound open division at his first Paralympic Games, a feat he accomplished despite being born without arms.   Matt STUTZMAN’s unique shooting style and skill made him something of a celebrity as he travelled to London for the Paralympic Games. The American was born with no arms. There was no medical explanation for his condition. Unable to cope or stick with the situation, his parents put him up for adoption. At 13 months he was adopted by Leon and Jean STUTZMAN, whose mantra was: "Impossible is a state of mind". They have been giving Matt this message from the start. Matt rejected prosthetics at a very young age and learned to do nearly everything with his feet. He eats, drives, brushes his teeth with his toes.   As a young man, Matt STUTZMAN taught himself to shoot archery after seeing his father and brother going out hunting with their bows. Like many of his rivals, he shoots from a seated position. He uses his left foot to put the arrow in place, then he pushes the compound bow away with his right foot and pulls the arrow back with a release aid, which is on a belt that wraps around his body and over his right shoulder. The release aid, which any other archer might use, has a trigger that rests against his jaw.   The 30-year-old started to shoot competitively only two years ago, and lived up to expectations in the London Paralympic Games—his first major international competition. He dominated the ranking round of the compound open class to finish 1st by 12 points, and qualified for the gold medal match.   He was narrowly beaten by Finland’s Jere FORSBERG in the final. FORSBERG pulled ahead 4-0, but STUTZMAN came back to tie the third set, leaving the score 5-1. The American seemed to refocus on the 10, winning the fourth set to make the score 5-3, followed by a perfect 30 on the fifth. However, FORSBERG was able to match this perfect score with a 30 of his own, to avoid a shoot-off.   "I was at peace. I shot my shots and it felt good", said STUTZMAN after winning the silver medal. "I have enjoyed every minute of it. It makes me want to try harder in 2016." He hopes that his performance might inspire others.   "My goal was to inspire somebody, even if it was just one person, with my positive attitude. Never say never! If I can do this, with no arms, anything is possible. Watching me people can only say, 'I haven’t got an excuse. I can’t say my back’s hurting or I got a sore finger, this guy’s shooting arrows with no arms.' I hope I make everyone realise you can do whatever you want in this life if you just try."   The archer from Fairfield, Iowa, dislikes being treated as a disabled person because he believes there is nothing he cannot do. He set a world record for the longest accurate shot, a mark of 230 yards in 2011 (see Guinness World Record-Holder). He plays the guitar, he loves fishing, camping, boating and spending time with his family. A father of three young children, he does all the chores any father does. "The usual – just doing it all with unusual abilities in unique ways and a desire to experience life", according to his official website www.inspirationalarcher.com.   Read more about Matt STUTZMAN on his official Facebook page.   Biography Extract:   Matthew Lee STUTZMAN (USA) – Born 10 December 2982   2nd Individual Paralympic Games London 2012 17th Individual Arizona Cup Phoenix (competition for able-bodied) 2012 4th Individual Para Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011   More results information on Matt STUTZMAN and all other archers on the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication