Team USA member Matt Stutzman has gone viral for his impressive archery talents at the Paris Paralympics. The 41-year-old American archer has no arms and uses an innovative method to compete— he holds the bow with one leg and pulls the bowstring with his mouth. During the men’s archery finals, Stutzman secured the gold medal after hitting a perfect bull’s eye in his final shot and set a Paralympic record score of 149. Stutzman was born without arms and didn’t start pursuing archery until 12 years ago. As an older participant in the sport, Stutzman has become a mentor to other armless archers who are hoping to make a name for themselves in the sport. One of his protegees, 17-year-old Sheetal Devi, took home the bronze medal in the women’s final at the Paralympic Games. Stutzman says that anytime an armless archer medals it feels like a personal win, and he hopes his gold medal will inspire others to never give up on their dreams.
Image via CNN
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