Jason Tabansky reaches gold at the Paralympics he was supposed to miss

Jason’s journey to gold in Paris started years earlier, in fact, in London. One step changed his life permanently. 

He was a Chinook helicopter mechanic, crewmember and flight instructor for the US military.

“I was in London doing an exposition for the military. I was coming down an aircraft, and slipped,” he recalled.

“I really hurt my neck and shoulder. That caused the inflammation of a small infection in my neck. It became big. Over three days it grew, and, eventually, I woke up in my hotel room, paralyzed from the neck down.”

Tabansky underwent surgery and started his recovery. And there he came across archery.

“I was at the Audie Murphy Veteran’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. I met a physical therapist who did many adaptive sports. He mentioned archery to me, and that stuck.”

“I was a bow hunter before, so he got me involved in archery. I had two friends. They do an air pistol and 25-meter pistol. They helped me get started in archery, and I fell in love with it.”

“That’s all I wanted and all I want to do now.”

Initially, his world collapsed, but he found internal strength and a new way of life.

“I was medically retired from the military, so it was the end of what I had known since I was 17.”

“Archery gave me a new purpose. And a reason to do something that I love. Yeah, I’m so happy that I fell in love with it. And I’m able to do it now.”