Piotr van Montagu

Started: He took up Para archery in 2016. He began competing in 2018. (sporza.be, 03 Sep 2021; rtbf.be, 16 Dec 2019) Reason: "I've always liked archery in TV shows and movies. Legolas, from 'The Lord of the Rings', is my favourite character. I decided to give archery a try even though I did not know how it could be done, but I knew that there would be no other solution than my feet." (AIPS Awards YouTube channel, 21 Mar 2021; rtbf.be, 16 Dec 2019) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (sporza.be, 03 Sep 2021) Additional Info: FROM POLAND TO BELGIUM Born in Poland, he was adopted from an orphanage by his Belgian mother at age four. "When I was four years old, I was adopted and that's where it all started because my mother let me do everything on my own. Since then, my permanent goal is to be independent." (aipsawards.com, 21 Mar 2021; rtbf.be, 16 Dec 2019) HARNESS He uses a special harness in competition. "Archery has always appealed to me, from an early age. I found an archery club nearby, but the necessary adjustments still had to be made. We had to find a way to attach the arch. A prosthetist then made a chest harness for me. I take my bow with my left foot, and hang it on a breastplate that sits on my right shoulder. A system, a paddle, then allows me to draw by slightly opening my mouth. Nearly three years passed between my arrival [at the archery club Cardinal Mercier in Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium] and being able to shoot alone." (sporza.be, 03 Sep 2021)