John Walker MBE

John Walker MBE

Athlete Information

  • Region

    Newport, Shropshire

  • Date of Birth

    04/09/1974

  • Classification

    W1 at Rio

Athlete main content

Bio

John was inspired to get into archery by London 2012 after watching American Sports star Matt Stutzman competing. In 2013, he took up the sport as a hobby.

His talent for the sport soon began to show, and after he was first selected to join the GB Para squad in 2014 he went on to shoot two European records and four world records.

After a rapid rise through the ranks, John made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016. He won gold in both of his events, the men’s individual compound (W1) and the mixed team compound (W1), where he competed alongside team-mate Jo Frith.

The pair excelled in their key matches to reach the top of the podium, winning against the Czech Republic and defeating the Republic of Korea in the gold medal match.

In his individual event, John showed solid form through the knockout rounds before beating David Dramoninsky of the Czech Republic in a closely-fought final.

Away from the Paralympic stage, career highlights include individual silver and mixed team gold at the 2015 Para World Championships in Donauschingen, Germany, mixed team gold at the 2016 European Para Championships in Saint Jean De Monts, France and at the 2017 Para World Championships in Beijing, he won bronze in the mixed team with Phoebe Pine.

He was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to archery.

John announced his retirement from archery in February 2019, but plans to explore other opportunities in Paralympic sport.

Major Results

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

  • Men’s Individual Compound (W1): Gold
  • Mixed Team Compound (W1): Gold

2017 World Para Archery Championships, Beijing, China

  • Mixed Team Compound (W1): Bronze

2016 European Para Archery Championships, Saint Jean De Monts, France

  • Mixed Team Compound (W1): Gold

2015 World Para Archery Championships, Donauschingen, Germany

  • Mixed Team Compound (W1): Gold
  • Men’s Individual Compound (W1): Silver

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