She is only 17 years old

Archer without arms inspires the whole world

Archer Sheetal Devi from India won bronze in the mixed doubles.

(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Unbelievable, but true: at the age of 17, Indian archer Sheetal Devi is one of the best in her sport worldwide - even though she has no arms. She even won the bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris on Monday.

Archery is actually all about dexterity and a damn steady hand - but Devi does it all with her feet and toes, wowing fans around the world at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

"Fascinating"
"Fascinating", "simply wow" or "she is a great inspiration for people all over the world", is what the internet is saying under the videos showing the 17-year-old during the competition.

And it is indeed hard to believe! She grabs the arrow from the ground with her feet and hangs it in the bowstring. With the help of a special strap on her chest, she tightens the bow, then aims at the target and releases the shot with her chin. And the arrow lands perfectly in the middle of the target. Unbelievable!

Devi was born with the rare disease phocomelia, which leads to missing or severely shortened limbs.

Bronze in the mixed doubles
Devi first made international headlines at the age of 15. At the Para-Asian Games, she hit the ten ball six times in a row and won gold. A year later, she became the first shooter without arms to win a medal at the Para World Championships, taking silver and securing her ticket for Paris. Unfortunately, she did not succeed in the individual competition! She failed by one point in the quarter-finals. But in the mixed doubles she shot her way to bronze!