Paralympics in Paris

Three years after horror accident at the top of the world

Michael Meier is eagerly awaiting his Paralympic premiere.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Since a serious fall from a ladder in June 2021, Lower Austrian Michael Meier (43) has been confined to a wheelchair. He found his new love in archery - and is competing at the Paralympic Games in Paris just two years after he first came into contact with the sport. 

The "Krone" reports from Paris

Intensive care nurse, father of two, on the move on both feet - that was Michael Meier's life in the summer of 2021. Before a sudden stroke of fate turned the Waldviertel native's life upside down from one day to the next. On 2 June, Meier fell from a ladder from a height of almost five meters while working on the house, installing a bird screen, and was unable to move his feet from then on. "I was blindsided, it was a catastrophe," says Meier.

Since then, the Lower Austrian has been paraplegic below the navel and dependent on a wheelchair. However, he didn't let this get him down - especially thanks to the support of his wife Daniela. "It was very important to me to be physically active, to find a sporting balance." Meier first tried para-tennis, saying: "I would have liked that, it would also have involved physical activity - but there were too many barriers in my home country."

One day, a friend took him archery. "I'd never done that before - at most once on vacation, when they offered it at a resort. But I liked it straight away and realized that I had a talent for it."

Meier with coach Christian Linhart.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

His rise to the top of the world was swift: in May 2022, he held his first bow in his hand, a year later he became Austrian champion and fourth in the team at the European Championships - and now he is the first Austrian archer since Erich Proßlin to compete at the Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000. "It's not a small sensation, but a big one that I'm here. My coach always says that it normally takes five to seven years for an athlete to get to the point where they can go to the Paralympics."

Only the arrow counts
He bought his ticket at the beginning of March at the quota tournament in Dubai, which he won despite having previously overcome a coronavirus infection, including a four-week break from training. His fascination with archery? "It doesn't matter what came before or what comes after - at that moment, only the arrow is important, you block out everything and just concentrate on the next shot. It allows me to relax completely and I love it every time."

The qualified nurse has been preparing for his first Paralympics since March. In addition to a 40-hour job at the Landesklinikum Horn, where he is specifically involved in training and staff information in the field of anesthesia and intensive care following his serious accident, and his family (daughter Sarah is five years old, son David is three), he spends around 20 hours a week on training sessions. "That's very close to the limit, I have to manage everything well. Because the children take up a lot of my time - and family time is the most important thing for me anyway. So I often only train in the evening, when the kids are already asleep. A big thank you to my wife, who is so supportive," says Meier, who is also a member of the Gastern municipal council.

It's actually incredible - in Austria it's not possible to borrow a car as a person with a physical impairment. You can only take a cab and then argue with the insurance company as to whether you can get the journeys paid for."

Meier war auf die Fahrtdienste seiner Familie angewiesen

Meier recently had to cope with another stroke of fate. "My car broke down due to a technical fault and I couldn't get out because there was so much traffic," Meier begins to explain in an interview with the Krone. A friend who works at the car dealership came with the tow truck and wanted to help - before the accident happened: "While he was hooking up my car, another car came from the opposite lane and hit me head-on. My friend was trapped between two cars, screaming for his life - and I was sitting in the car, unable to help him." The friend fought for his leg for a long time, but is now on the road to recovery.

No car available to borrow
This was doubly painful for Meier: he relies on his car in everyday life to get from home to work and to training - that was suddenly no longer available. "It's actually incredible - in Austria, it's not possible to borrow a car as a person with a physical impairment. You can only take a cab and then argue with the insurance company about whether you're going to be paid for the journey." At his home, a trip to work costs a whopping 185 euros - each way. "You can work out what that would have cost per month." As so often in recent years, Meier was able to rely on his family to drive him. "But it's difficult to always be dependent on others - especially when none of this would have been a problem until three years ago."

Meier has been in the Olympic Village since Saturday.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Dream of a medal
At the Paralympic Games, Meier now wants to crown his rapid rise to the top of the archery world, saying: "Of course I'm an outsider - but I know that I'm in very good shape. I'm not here to look at the Eiffel Tower." The placement round will take place on Thursday and the medals on the Esplanade des Invalides will be contested on Sunday.

Top sporting performances on his part would not only fulfill a personal dream, but also generate more attention for people with physical disabilities. "I experienced this first-hand for years in the intensive care unit - but when you sit in that chair yourself, you realize what obstacles and barriers people in wheelchairs still have to overcome." Paris should help to further promote inclusion. After all, it can happen to anyone, from one day to the next. As Meier had to experience first-hand.