Eric Bennett competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics as an archer. The Paralympics are held in the same country as the Olympics, in the following September. While they receive far less attention, the athletes are every bit as competitive and well-trained as their better-known counterparts.
Bennet began using a bow and arrow while learning to hunt with his father. When he was fifteen, he lost his arm in a car accident. He gave up archery, but his father encouraged him to return to the sport ten years later, and he is now competing at the highest possible level, Open Class Compound. His first international competition was in 2007, where he took fourth in the International Championships. Despite this late start, he easily qualified for the Paralympics.
Bennett has several gold medals to his name in the past few years, including the 2007 California State Games, Chula Vista, Calif and the Endeavor Games, Edmond, Okla in 2007, where he also took a silver. In 2008, he again took gold in the Endeavor Games.
Bennett holds seven world records in his sport.
At the Beijing Olympics, he won several rounds, losing only when a competitor set a world record.
Bennett teaches physics at an Arizona high school and also coaches the tennis team there. He is married to Rachel and they have a young son. Eric Bennett’s wife maintained a blog during the Olympics, where you can read about their experiences in Beijing.
Sources: