Eric Bennett
- Home: Surprise, Arizona
- Birthdate: November 4, 1973
Although Eric Bennett has been competing internationally for just more than a year, he has been shooting in archery tournaments for more than eight years. At the 2007 IPC World Championships, his first international tournament, he took third place in the FITA ranking round and narrowly missed the medal stand, finishing fourth overall.
Bennett lost his right arm above the elbow in a rollover car accident when he was 15. At the urging of his father, he got back into archery nine years ago. Having only one arm, Bennett competed using a mouthtab for many years. Recently, however, he switched to a shoulder release, a move that has already paid off. Using his new release, he shot a qualifying score high enough to secure his bid for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team. In Beijing, Bennett competed in the men's individual compound - open.
Bennett is a high school physics teacher and the boy's head tennis coach at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Ariz. He got his bachelor's degree in physical science from Northern Arizona University and completed his master's degree in educational supervision at Arizona State University.
Bennett has been married to his wife, Rachel, for four years and they have a two-year-old son, Logan.
Major Achievements:
- 2008: U.S. Paralympic Team member, Archery - Beijing, China
- 2008: Gold Medal - Endeavor Games, Edmond, Okla.
- 2008: Arizona State FITA Champion
- 2007: Fourth place - IPC World Championships, Cheongju, South Korea
- 2007: Gold Medal - National Team Round, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- 2007: Silver Medal - State Games of America, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- 2007: Gold Medal - California State Games, Chula Vista, Calif.
- 2007: Gold Medal, Silver Medal - Endeavor Games, Edmond, Okla.
- Current holder of 7 National Records
