Michael Meier

Started: He took up Para archery in 2022 at HSV Allentsteig in Austria. (Athlete, 27 Aug 2024; kurier.at, 07 Mar 2024) Reason: He was approached by Austrian Para archer Martin Wegerer. "I liked it straight away and realised that I had talent for it. I also liked the inclusivity of the sport." (Athlete, 27 Aug 2024; noe.orf.at, 20 Mar 2024; landesgesundheitsagentur.at, 24 Mar 2023) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, and to compete at the 2025 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. (noe.orf.at, 20 Mar 2024; Athlete, 27 Aug 2024) Additional Info: SURPRISE PARALYMPIC QUALIFICATION Having taken up the sport in 2022, he secured qualification for the 2024 Paralympic Games two years later through his performance at the Paralympic Qualification Tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in March 2024. "When the Austrian Paralympic Committee contacted me in August 2023 and wanted to know my details and how many tickets I would like to purchase, I thought to myself, 'What's the point, they're dreaming, I can't get there [to Paris 2024] anyway'. I started the tournament in Dubai in good spirits and well prepared. It was only on the flight back from Dubai and at the reception in Vienna [in Austria] that I realised what that [qualifying for the Games] meant." (meinbezirk.at, 13 Mar 2024; krone.at, 12 Mar 2024) OCCUPATION He is a qualified nurse and has worked as a care controller at the Landesklinikum Horn hospital in Austria. (Athlete, 27 Aug 2024; Facebook profile, 19 Apr 2024; horn.lknoe.at, 14 Mar 2024; krone.at, 12 Mar 2024; landesgesundheitsagentur.at, 24 Mar 2023)