Peter
Marchant

Peter Marchant went 51 years before picking up a bow and arrow.

For 25 years, Para-archery, or Paralympic sport for that matter, was simply not an option. But that all changed after a motorcycle accident in 1986. Peter was riding to work when the truck travelling in front of him turned unexpectedly and he was thrown from his bike, injuring his spinal cord.

And 26 years later, Peter started competing in Para-archery. He made his international debut at the 2017 World Archery Para Championships in Beijing, China, and won a silver medal at the 2018 Para-archery European Circuit in Olbia, Italy, where the Australian Para-archery team achieved its best medal result to date at a major event. In 2019, Peter joined forces with Paralympic bronze medallist Jonathon Milne and newcomer Craig McMurdo to reach the World Championships quarter-finals in the men’s team compound Open.

Peter’s next target is the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where he is aiming to make his Paralympic debut. For Peter, the Games represents overcoming the ultimate adversity – that, and the opportunity to win a gold medal at the pinnacle event for his sport.

He has come close to gold a couple of times in his career, including in a nail-biting tiebreaker at the 5th Fazza Para-archery World Ranking Tournament in April 2019, and knows what it takes to win. He is wholly committed to honing his craft over the coming months in the lead-up to the Games, and with people like coach Ricci Cheah in his corner, he has the knowledge and skills of some of the best in the business propelling him forward.