By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Macclesfield shooting-star Amanda Jane (AJ) Jennings has reached Paris to mark her debut as a paralympic archer.
The Green and Gold athletes left Australia on Monday 19 August for the Paralympics Games in Paris which commenced on Wednesday 28 August, and intended to finish on Sunday 8 September 2024.
The atmosphere at the venues has been pumping on the ‘City of Love,’ with many incredible athletes celebrating their unique stories at the Games.
“When I finally got that tick in the nod saying, you’re going to Paris – it was just a relief and excitement,” she said.
“When we got to the end of the trials, it was a relief because you’ve got to win the quota spot first, which is just for Australia, and then when you get back to Australia, you’ve got to compete again to represent Australia.”
Prior to transitioning to archery, Ms Jennings made her international debut at the 2014 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow, Russia, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s lightweight kayak.
In 2015, the 44-year-old then won her first world title, and in doing so, she secured a place in the Australian Paralympic Team for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
After the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she transitioned to archery as a result of two hip replacements – this sport became part of her rehabilitation.
“After my surgery, when I came back from Tokyo, I still had the athlete brain, but I found out I couldn’t go back into the boat,” she said.
“I went to hunt for something else to do, and I tried archery and shooting, archery clicked with me better and I loved the mental side of it, the focus, the use of upper body strength – it all fell into it, and I fell in love with it.”
She lived in the Yarra Ranges for most of her life but due to her new journey as a paralympic athlete, she moved to Brisbane, but her parents and her son still lives in the southeast area whom she often comes and visits.
In 2015 and 2016, she was awarded the People’s Choice Award at the Australian Canoeing Awards.
Things haven’t always been this glamours for the 53-year-old, for over two decades she lived with chronic pain, depression, and an addiction to prescription medication before she decided to amputate her right leg through the knee, she hoped this would improve her quality of life, and after discovering Para-canoe in 2012, she realised just how incredible her new journey to life could be.
“When you’re down in the low part and circling that black hole; you just got to remember the next day is a new day, don’t make big goals rather make baby steps to help you move forward,” Ms Jennings said.
“As long as you’re moving forward, even if it is slow, it will get better.”
“For me it was also having a great communication with people around me, people that I love, and people that loves me because those are the people who’ll help you find that missing part, and that passion because that’s what will drive you to get through those dark days.”
The Para-Archer said healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed or it’s completely gone but rather it means, the damage no longer controls our lives.
“The old saying, “anything is possible”, it’s really true, you just have to find what you’re passionate about, whether it be reading, sport, cooking, or any form of doing something, because at least you’re moving forward with it, and it gives you a purpose,” she said.
“I’d love to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and to the people watching us from back home.”
“To get an athlete to where I am at the moment, it takes a village, and the Dandenongs have been a huge part of my life and I just want to say thank you, because it’s the support that’s been given to me from all of them, the love has just kept me to keep moving forward and aim towards my goal.”
Para archery is where determination meets precision, and every shot is a reminder that true strength comes from within.
