Four-time Paralympian Matt Stutzman has been named the winner of the Best Male Summer Sports category at the Para Sport Awards 2025.
The Para Sport Awards are presented every two years by the International Paralympic Committee, recognising excellence on and off the field in the Paralympic Movement. With over 200 nominations received for the 11 categories of this year’s awards, Stutzman’s achievement stands among athletes, coaches and volunteers from ten different nations across all continents.
USA’s Stutzman, widely known as the “Armless Archer”, captured his first Paralympic gold medal in the compound men’s individual event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games – hitting a new Paralympic record with 149 out of a possible 150 and making history as the first armless archer to win Paralympic gold.
He was also World Archery’s best athlete of 2024, becoming the first para athlete to be named archer of the year and finishing ahead of top able-bodied in the annual vote, a further recognition of his remarkable career and influence on the sport.
Adding the Para Sport Award to his list of accolades recognises both his outstanding performance and his wider contribution to para sport. This recognition also highlights how Stutzman has influenced a new generation of archers without arms – paving the way for greater representation and inclusion in his sport.
Stutzman’s journey into archery was unique.
Born without arms, he developed his own technique: holding the bow with his right foot and releasing the arrow with his jaw or other adapted mechanism. His 2024 victory not only achieved personal fulfilment but also helped widen the profile of Para archery globally.
In December 2024, Stutzman announced his retirement from international competition, ending a 14-year career on a high note, but continues to influence emerging archers, most notably Sheetal Devi.
The 18-year-old Indian para archer, who recently became compound women’s world champion at the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships and the first Indian para archer selected for the country’s able-bodied team, cited Stutzman as a major inspiration in developing her own technique and pursuing her ambitions at the highest level.
