From Despair to Gold: South Korean Archers Find New Life and Medals Through Sport

For Kim Ok-geum, 66, and Lee Eun-hee, 56, the archery range has become a sanctuary, a place where they draw strength not just from the bowstring but from a shared resilience forged through adversity. Kim, who developed muscle atrophy in her 30s, battled depression, feeling like a burden to her family. She found a new path at 53 when she picked up a bow. Lee's life took a dramatic turn at 27 after a severe car accident in Tanzania left her with life-altering injuries, unable to walk. Both women, once consumed by the physical and emotional toll of their conditions and the pitying glances of loved ones, now stand as proud national representatives.

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The older you get, if you become lazy, you get criticized. I also work harder because I don't want to be a burden to others.

Their journey to the archery field was not immediate. Before gripping a bow, both spent over a year engaged in preparatory exercises, strengthening their bodies for the demands of the sport. "I was so thrilled when I first shot an arrow," Kim recalled. "I was obsessed with archery; I didn't even realize my car was running out of gas." Within a year of starting wheelchair archery, Kim earned a spot on the national team. She has since achieved significant success, including a bronze medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games, a silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and a gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. Her domestic record, set in 2017, remains unbroken.

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Eun-hee, despite being more severely disabled than me, doesn't stop training. She never gives up until the end.

Lee, who enjoyed sports like taekwondo and kung fu before her accident, initially juggled work with wheelchair rugby for three to four years. Finding it too strenuous, she transitioned to wheelchair archery, especially after a compound archery event for severely disabled individuals was introduced. The "destructive power" of the arrow hitting the target captivated her. Together, Kim and Lee formed a formidable partnership, winning gold in the W1 women's doubles at the 2025 World Para Archery Championships in Gwangju last September, despite only two months of practice as a pair. They also secured a silver medal at the World Championships in Czech Republic in early July.

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Archery is like oxygen to me.

Despite their achievements, both athletes express concern over the shrinking availability of sports facilities for disabled individuals. "The convenience facilities are also being reduced, so we hope the existing ones don't disappear," they stated in unison. They are currently training under coach Kwon Hyun-ju for the W1 events at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games in October. With no women's doubles event due to insufficient participants, they will compete together in the team event. Lee, making her Asian Para Games debut, expressed her trust in Kim, while Kim, set to be the oldest participant, aims to achieve her goal of reaching the "Cheongryongjang" (a high dan level in archery) with a strong performance at the Games. For them, standing at the shooting line, the goal is simple: hit the 10-point mark, a daily pursuit that might just be their pursuit of life itself.

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When I stand at the shooting line, I am still very happy and joyful.