Paralympian targets gold in London

Sports

Paralympian targets gold in London

Close

Matt Stutzman, born without arms prepares to bullseye gold in London Paralympic archery competition.

15 June,2012 07:18 am

For most people hitting a target with a bow and arrow would be a challenge.For those competing at the Olympics, it takes mental discipline and enough arm-strength to pull 60-pounds (27kg) on the bowline amidst fierce competition.For Matt Stutzman, who set a new Guiness record with a 230-yard (210.3 meter) shot last year, the challenge is different. He has no arm-strength to speak of. In fact, Stutzman has no arms, yet he is the number one contender for the gold medal at the London Paralympic Games this summer.Born without what many people would consider the required appendages for the sport, Stutzman came to archery only recently. He grew up in a family that enjoyed hunting so it was only a matter of time until he picked up a bow too.When I first picked up a bow to start shooting, I googled, you know, how do you teach somebody without arms how to shoot. There was nothing It didnt have anything. There was no videos. Theres no book about dummies [Archery for Dummies], guys without arms shooting a bow. Theres none of that stuff, said Stutzman.What I did is I found professional archers who are ranked top in the world and theyre all over Youtube. So I would watch their videos, and watch them, and watch them. And I would think okay, so he is holding his hand this way, and hes doing this. So in my head, I would basically picture my leg as my arm and I would hold that bow exactly like that guy would. In my head, I would do that. And then when I would pull back I would simulate what I was seeing and able-bodied guy doing. And once I figured it out, I just shot a bunch that way and did well from there, he explained.Last year, while helping a friend site his rifle, Stutzman joked he could hit a target with his bow at 100 yards (91.44 meters) that his friends could not hit with his gun. After hitting the mark, they stretched Stutzman accuracy to over 200 yards, which led to besting the world record mark. After that Stutzman found his way to the U.S. Paralympic program very quickly.But how good is Stutzman? Earlier this year, the archer attended the biggest indoor archery tournament in Las Vegas for the compound bow. Over 1,800 competitors participated in the three-day event, and after the first day only 54 people had perfect scores. Fifty-three of them needed their hands and arms to do it.Stutzman has since become the odd-on favorite to win gold at the Paralympics.Well, Im definitely, in London, going to win the gold medal. Well, I shouldnt say definitely, but Im going to do my best. And if i do my best, I know I can win the gold medal, he said.Before Stutzman takes on that next challenge in London, the father of two is looking forward to the imminent birth of his next child.